Frustration Builds as Green Continues to be Underutilized
The National Football League knows the type of player A.J. Green has been throughout his storied, decade-long career. The Bengals know the type of value he can bring to the table too, which is why they’re paying him $18 million on the franchise tag.
The front office is paying very close attention to how he's being utilized. Like any business owner, they want to get something out of their biggest investment. It may only be a one-year deal, but Green is the highest-paid player on the team.
The 32-year-old was on the field for 86% of Cincinnati’s offensive snaps in Sunday’s 19-7 loss to the Dolphins, yet his only target came on a short route with Miami in bracket coverage. Brandon Allen’s throw missed him and after that play, Green launched his helmet in frustration.
The seven-time Pro Bowler is not the type of player who voices his dissatisfaction. He has a long track record of dealing with things privately and isn't someone who wears his emotions on his sleeve. A fiery reaction from him is extremely rare, but it's hard to blame him for being frustrated. His 2020 season has been nothing short of a disaster.
We are 13 weeks into the season and Green has 35 receptions for 357 receiving yards and one touchdown. He hasn't had a catch in three of the last four games.
Before this year, you would never find the words Green and “quitting" in the same sentence. That adjective has been used to describe him on social media this season.
Green isn't a quitter. He's a broken football player.
“A.J. is one of the most premier receivers in the NFL, and to see what’s going on now is disheartening,” former Bengals offensive coordinator (2014–2015) Hue Jackson told AllBengals. “The NFL knows who he has been, but there are question marks because of the injuries he’s had."
It's unfair to say Green's fallen off. This coaching staff is misusing a player of his caliber. He’s an afterthought in this offense.
Must he get better at creating separation? Yes. Is he a spring chicken? No.
The talent is still there, though. He can still help a team win and yet he's been targeted just four times in the past two games.
Has Father Time finally caught up with Green? Defensive coordinators don't seem to think so based on how they game plan for him. They see him as a threat on the field. He still garners attention from the opposing team's top defenders each week.
If opposing defensive coordinators recognize the talent on the Bengals' roster, why doesn’t Cincinnati’s coaching staff seem to recognize it?
Green carried this offense for nearly a decade. In the first seven years of his career, he was the go-to option on roughly 8-10 offensive plays per game, which included 2-4 downfield opportunities depending on how the opponent was playing him.
Green was targeted early in games and seasoned defensive coordinators did everything they could to take him away.
Green was unequivocally the star of Cincinnati’s franchise. The Bengals drafted Mohamad Sanu, Marvin Jones, Tyler Eifert, Tyler Boyd, John Ross, and others to help alleviate the pressure that teams would often place on No. 18.
Green flashed what he’s got in the tank in Week 1 when he caught what would have been the game-winning touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers. Rookie quarterback Joe Burrow connected with the veteran on a curl route in the front-right corner of the end zone on first-and-goal from the 3-yard line.
That touchdown was called back after Green was called for offensive pass interference. Officials said he pushed off of Casey Hayward to get separation.
Green’s lone score of the year came on Burrow’s final touchdown pass of the season, a 5-yard toss in the first half of their loss to Washington.
If you’ve been watching Bengals football for the better part of the last decade, you’ve seen Green make memorable catches before, and he isn't finished making those plays. We could see the talented wideout make those plays again, but he’ll likely be doing it in a different uniform.
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