WR A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

HT: 6-3, WT: 211, Born: 7-31-1988, College: Georgia, Drafted: Round 1, Pick 4

2013 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of May 6th. [Full ADP list]

Overall: L McCoy (10), A Morris (11), A.J. Green (12), B Marshall (13), M Forte (14)
Position: C Johnson (6-WR1), A.J. Green (12 - WR2), B Marshall (13-WR3), D Bryant (16-WR4)
Click here for a comparison of these players.

PPR Average draft position

Current as of May 6th. [Full PPR ADP list]

Overall: C Spiller (8), L McCoy (9), A.J. Green (10), M Lynch (11), B Marshall (12)
Position: C Johnson (4-WR1), A.J. Green (10 - WR2), B Marshall (12-WR3), J Jones (13-WR4)
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Outlook

In 2011, A.J. Green had a remarkable rookie season in which he caught 65 passes for 1,057 yards, and seven touchdowns. All of that came with a rookie quarterback who was learning on the job just as Green was. In 2012, both Green and his quarterback - Andy Dalton - showed progress. Green caught 97 passes for 1,350 yards, and 11 touchdowns, putting his numbers in the "elite" category (a place where his athleticism, size, and skills already were). Green's size, speed, leaping ability, and hands are a rare combination. As Dalton grows, the offensive burden will shift more and more towards the passing game, making the sky the limit for what Green can do.

2013 Schedule

2012 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Green was largely held in check by the Raven defense. He was defended close to the line of scrimmage with a safety defending him over the top. The Baltimore secondary was quick enough at the snap to neutralize Green on all downfield routes. His best catch came on a 17 yard reception where he was able to get space off of his initial defender and haul in the pass before Benard Pollard could close in on him. Green looked quick off the line of scrimmage but was somewhat sloppy on his routes which may have contributed to his not catching many downfield passes.

Week 2 - The Browns were clearly focused on preventing Green from getting deep and that resulted in a lot of short slants and hitches for Green. Where he was most impressive was after the catch as he repeatedly refused to let the first man take him down. Three times in the second half he caught short hitches or slants and then stiff armed a defender and picked up the first down. His touchdown came on a short route where he caught the ball at the 4 and then made a great move to beat the defender into the end zone.

Week 3 - Green simply dominated this contest from first snap to last whistle. On the Bengals’ first play of the game, he hauled in a perfect pass from receiver Mohamed Sanu on a slant-and-go route, taking it to the house for a seventy-three yard Bengals touchdown. While that was his lone touchdown of the game – his end-around run got stopped at the one yard line – Green had only begun to run roughshod over Redskins defensive backs. Targeted on forty-percent of Dalton’s passes, he moved the sticks for the Bengals numerous times.

Green had a career day against a Redskins defense that had little hope of stopping him. The second-year wideout blasted his personal single-game receiving yards record – he had one hundred and twenty-four in his second career game against the Broncos – with a monstrous game hundred and eighty-three yards on nine receptions. Cincinnati also got him involved in the ground game, as Green took an end around for an eleven yard gain. The Georgia product is simply an elemental force in the Cincinnati passing game, a weapon that shakes off coverage like a duck does water. If Sunday’s game against Washington is any indication, Green is poised for a massive year for the Bengals.

Week 4 - Green’s day started very slowly as Dalton had little time to look down the field early in the game. For nearly a half, Green was taking away coverage and his lone target resulted in an interception when Dalton floated a late, inaccurate pass his way. In the final two minutes of the first half, Green warmed up. He easily beat the cornerback on a go route, making the deep catch. That play was nearly a touchdown, but Green was ruled out of bounds at the 1-yard line. There was no official review after the play, but was close enough to warrant one. The second half was when Green went to work on the Jacksonville secondary. Two highlight-worthy catches showed off Green’s elite ball skills. Once, Green adjusted to an underthrown deep pass with ease. Another saw Green make a diving play on a slant route. Green had another near touchdown in the second half, catching a red zone slant just short of the goal line. Even though Green followed his huge Week 3 with another impressive stat line, there was the opportunity for three touchdowns on the day. His talent is more evident with each passing week and Green is locked into fantasy starting lineups on a weekly basis.

Week 5 - After tearing up the competition in the first month, Green had an off day (relatively speaking) against what has been a rather soft Miami passing defense. He still registered nine catches on a team leading 13 targets, but only picked up 65 yards. Green couldn’t get behind Sean Smith (who’s done a tremendous job in back-to-back to weeks against two of the best WRs in the NFL) and he was forced to work underneath the coverage for a majority of the game. Green fumbled twice, but managed to recover both (one questionably so). Green made a great catch on his TD, as Dalton placed the ball perfectly and despite tight coverage again from Smith was able to haul the pass in and keep both feet in. Green’s long went for 18 yards, a nice back shoulder throw from Dalton. Constant pressure on Dalton early led to a disconnect between the two and perhaps precipitated the move inside and underneath for Green later in the game.

Week 6 - With Calvin Johnson underperforming, AJ Green may just be the best receiver in the NFL right now. This game showcased his talents. Green's first reception was on a pass that he did excellently to fight back for. Green and Buster Skrine were tight to each other and the ball was destined for Skrine's hands, but Green snatched it off of his finger tips showing excellent quickness and hustle. For his second catch, Green extended over the middle to snatch the ball out of the air before taking a hard hit from an incoming safety. Green held onto the ball and made it look easy. Many receivers shy away from contact in that situation. Green's first touchdown was an impressive move again that he made look easy. Green caught a high pass from Dalton in the back of the endzone and did well to extend fully, snatch the ball out of the air and keep his feet in bounds. Green showed off his intelligence and physical ability to adjust to a lofted deep pass from Dalton to beat two defenders and come down with the ball under pressure later, before then catching a quick slant against single coverage for 15 yards. Joe Haden followed Green later in the game, but Green beat Haden on a comeback for 13 yards before beating him in single coverage down the sideline for a massive touchdown reception. Haden looked tired as he followed him in pursuit.

Week 7 - Green was targeted six times by Andy Dalton but had a great deal of trouble making anything happen against the potent and revitalized Steelers' defense. Green's best play came on an incompletion. On the play, Green ran an out pattern to the left side and Andy Dalton's pass was high and behind him. Green was able to stop mid-stride and elevate to try and catch the ball, ultimately getting only one hand on the errant pass before it dropped to the ground. The play showed Green's absolutely electrifying athleticism and gave fans a reason to think that a single bad game can be easily corrected due to his immense physical talents. Green's sole reception came on an 8 yard touchdown reception. On the play, Green lined up to the left and ran a quick slant to the middle of the end zone. To his credit, Dalton threw a hard, low pass that only Green could reach. Green slipped behind his defender and hauled in the ball for the score. Green primarily ran quick screens and go routes from the left side of the field but was double-covered on most downs with a safety over the top thus limiting his ability to catch many passes.

Week 9 - Another game, another set of impressive catches for A.J. Green. He was matched against Champ Bailey most of the day and beat him more than once on deep routes. Early in the game, Bailey was penalized for holding, but Green bobbled and frankly should have caught the pass even with the penalty. Green beat Bailey on a first half deep route in addition to a fade route in the end zone for a score where he faked the slant route and easily got to the corner on Bailey. Green got deep again and this time Bailey held him as it had all the makings of a long touchdown. Dalton’s throw looked to be too far down the field regardless of the penalty, but Green clearly won the route. Green’s best play after the catch came in the second half on a crossing route. After a stiff arm, Green turned the reception into a huge gain and nearly scored, going out of bounds at the two-yard-line. His final big play was called back by offensive holding, a physical catch over the middle on third-and-long with the game in the balance. Despite a few missed opportunities, Green still had a great fantasy day, showing his high weekly ceiling as a WR1.

Week 10 - A.J Green was targeted often by QB Dalton from the very start and you could tell how much chemistry exists between the two second year players. Green took advantage of backed off coverage and soft zone defense early in the game with outs and short curl patterns, that gave him some yards after contact also. Green’s biggest play came on busted coverage from NYG however. The S for NYG never picked up Green as he streaked down the field alone, giving QB Dalton a massive window to throw into and a very quick touchdown pass. Green almost had another touchdown shortly after as he was open in the endzone on a fade pattern but the pass had slightly too much air and did not reach Green in time. Green got a lot of short patterns after this, aiming to continue to take advantage of his athletic skills. He was an excellent option to pick up first downs and got a lot of yards after catch due to the difficulty defenders have in trying to tackle him in open space. NYG DB’s often feared the deep ball from Green and surrendered the short gains in an effort to prevent the big play. Green was not needed as much as he could have been needed due to the lack of effort from NYG. The Bengals had a commanding lead in the third quarter and the Bengals simply nursed this lead with safe pass/run calls to ensure the victory.

Week 11 - Green had a nice day that could have been huge. He consistently beat Brandon Flowers and Javier Arenas down the right sideline, but Andy Dalton overthrew more of those targets than they connected on. Green’s touchdown catch was the type that only a handful of receivers in the league could make. Versus double coverage Green made a one handed grab on a fade route and somehow got two feet in bounds. Green took a huge hit that drew a flag in the second quarter on his 40 yard reception. He ran a stop and go, running right past Brandon Flowers but the ball arrived just as the safety did and Green paid dearly for catching the ball. The hit didn’t seem to affect him as he continued to dominate Chiefs corners in the second half. He seemed to be toying with the two corners as he ran past them down the sideline repeatedly.

Week 12 - Green did not extend his 9-game touchdown streak but had his chances and ended with a productive day. Green has been an absolute monster this season and in 10-of-11 games has nine or more targets. Despite eclipsing 100 yards this week, Green and Dalton were not on the same page more often than not. Green had two chances for receptions in the red zone which were not catchable in addition to a diving attempt on a slant route that Dalton threw far out in front of his leading receiver. When the ball was in Green’s catching radius, he made the Oakland secondary pay. All three of his receptions were down the field and at big moments. His highlight reel play this week was a third-and-long conversion on a deep route against tight double coverage. Green tracked the ball right over his head and hauled in the highly difficult play to step up the game-clinching score in the fourth quarter. In addition to his regular work in the passing game, Green added a 20-yard rush on a reverse that was blocked well at the point of attack. It was just the third game of the season where Green saw action as a rusher. While stud players like Green are matchup-proof, it is worth noting that his two toughest games of the season to-date (Ravens, Steelers) were also his lowest scoring games. The Cowboys in Week 14 and Steelers in Week 16 are equally tough tasks over the remaining fantasy schedule.

Week 13 - xGreen had a solid game, but he was very close on several occasions to an excellent game. Despite the game high nine receptions, he didn’t record any receptions longer than 16 yards. He was wide open in the end zone on a first half pass play, but QB Andy Dalton sailed it well over his head. Green had planted towards the inside and was heading to the outside of the end zone, but Dalton just couldn’t find the touch. Later on that same drive, he was again targeted in the end zone but there was good coverage on the play. The Bengals did try to take a couple of deep shots to him. The first was on a flea flicker designed to go to him. Dalton, however, saw that he was well-covered down the field and threw to another receiver. Late in the game, Green had a few steps on his defender down the right sideline but again Dalton misfired. Had the pass been towards the middle of the field, it likely would have gone for a 49-yard touchdown. But the ball was thrown out of bounds, which didn’t give Green any chance to make a play on it.

Week 14 - A.J. Green should have had a better stat line than he did. This was actually Green's worst fantasy day of the year, although he has himself to blame thanks to an easy touchdown drop that would have changed the course of the game. Though targeted 8 times on the day, two of those targets were drops and one was a bad throw that resulted in an interception. Green did have a very nice grab of about 15 yards displaying his athletic jumping ability, but beyond that, a forgettable day at the office.

Week 15 - The only Bengals receiver to record a catch against the Eagles, Green hauled in six passes on ten targets for fifty-seven yards through the air. He also broke a three-game scoring drought on a five-yard fade pass reception from Andy Dalton in the fourth quarter. Even with the Philadelphia pass rush dominating and Dalton totally off his game, Green still got his and added to the long list of reasons why he is the AFC’s most dominant wide receiver. The Bengals got Green involved on a variety of routes, including quick slants to allow Green to get yards after the catch, as well as jump-ball fade routes and go routes to permit him to showcase his speed and physically dominate the Eagles’ secondary. While Green recorded one touchdown in the fourth quarter – his NFL-leading eleventh amongst all wide receivers – he came close to a second one on the Bengals’ previous possession. On third-and-eleven at the Philadelphia fourteen-yard line, Andy Dalton had Green open in the end zone, but his pass hit the helmet of Eagles cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and caromed out of Green’s reach.

Week 16 - Green's first reception was a curl underneath when he pushed his way past Cortez Allen for a first down. Green's second reception went for six yards on a bubble screen down the sideline. Green caught a nine yard curl route on first and 10. Green caught another pass underneath for eight yards on first and 10. The Bengals went straight back to him on a bubble screen for the first down. Green dropped a curl underneath coverage on second and 9. Green wasn't having his best day, but did draw a big pass interference call deep down the field to start the fourth quarter. Green caught a slant route straight after, but fumbled the ball when Cortez Allen knocked it out. Green caught a nine yard curl, before spinning away from one tackle, sidestepping another and falling forward for the first down and four more yards. Green caught a wide open curl route before running down the sideline for 20 yards. Green picked up another nine yards against off coverage. Green ran an excellent out route deep down the field to set up the Bengals' game winning field goal.

Week 17 - With Dalton playing a more conservative game and the success of Marvin Jones across from him, the ball didn’t have to be force fed to the big wide receiver. Green only had two catches, but both came on the Bengals’ touchdown drive in the first half. His first catch came on a medium post route where Green used his body to gain position on the corner and catch the ball; using his strong hands to hold on while getting hit hard. On the next play, Green caught the ball on a sideline hook and showed great footwork to stay in bounds while catching the ball away from his body. The first team offense was benched in the second half, so Green ended the day with those two catches.

Week 18 - Head coach candidate or not, there is something very wrong with an offensive coordinator’s game plan that doesn’t find a single target for one of the league’s best WRs until the 2nd half. Sure, the Bengals only had four drives and eight passing attempts in the 1st half. But when one of your players is A.J. Green, you find a way to get him the ball. Green finally found some offense in the 2nd half, with three of his five catches coming on the second drive of the 2nd half including his long of 45 yards. Green ran right past Jonathan Joseph and in a rare moment of accuracy Dalton was able to find the WR for the big gain. Green picked up two more targets, including a six-yard pickup on a quick screen before Dalton missed him badly on the next play. In a weird moment of miscommunication (?), Dalton went back to Green on the following drive. Green, however, appeared oblivious to the throw not even attempting to make a play on the ball as it cleanly sailed right into Joseph’s arms. Green just missed another big play on the next drive as he again got behind Joseph’s coverage. Dalton threw late, however, and while Green was able to get his hands on the pass, Joseph made a great play to knock it loose. The late throw opened Green up for a shot too, from S Kareem Jackson and sent the WR to the sideline to recover. Green made a nice play to open the following drive, catching a quick out and spinning out of the initial tackle to pick up 15 yards. However, it was another missed opportunity for Green that was the (mis)play of the drive. Green used a double move, faking the corner route before cutting back up field, to again beat Joseph. Well behind the coverage and in the end zone, all Green needed was a solid throw from his QB. Unfortunately, Dalton badly misfired, as the pass was a couple yards too long. Green finished the day leading the Bengals in every receiving category, including 11 2nd half targets.