A.J. Green soaring above all NFL receivers

[Bengals1181]

[b] A.J. Green soaring above all NFL receivers[/b]


[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]It's going to be easy to convince you in this piece that [/size][/font][/color][url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13983/aj-green"]A.J. Green[/url][color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3] is the NFL's next superstar. For one moment Sunday, the Bengals wide receiver nearly made everyone believe he was a superhero. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]Going after a pass thrown ahead of him, Green left his feet to make the fully extended 14-yard catch against the Jaguars. It was much more than a leap. Green took flight. He was in the air so long that he had time to pull the ball back to his body with his right hand and extend his left arm to brace his fall. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]“You think you’ve seen about everything A.J. can do,” quarterback [/size][/font][/color][url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/14012/andy-dalton"]Andy Dalton[/url][color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3] said, “and you’ve seen so much you don’t think twice about his ability, and then he’ll show you something new like that one.” [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]Through the first four games of the season, Green has soared above all the other receivers in the league. He's been more dominant than [/size][/font][/color][url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/10447/calvin-johnson"]Calvin Johnson[/url][color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]. He's been more explosive than [/size][/font][/color][url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/5528/larry-fitzgerald"]Larry Fitzgerald[/url][color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]. He's been more productive than [/size][/font][/color][url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/4461/andre-johnson"]Andre Johnson[/url][color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]In just his second NFL season, Green is second in the league in receiving yards (428) and is one behind the league leaders with three touchdown catches. He is on pace to catch 108 passes for 1,712 yards and 12 touchdowns. The numbers are more impressive when you consider the defense's focus every game is to stop him.[/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]The Bengals are 3-1 and rank eighth in scoring because of Green, who is ranked seventh in ESPN.com's MVP Watch this week. He accounted for 41 percent of the team's total offense in a win at Washington two weeks ago and he represented 48 percent of the receiving yards in last Sunday's win at Jacksonville. [/size][/font][/color]

[url="http://espn.go.com/photo/2012/1002/nfl_a_green_dalton_wm_600.jpg"][img]http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2012/1002/nfl_a_green_dalton_wm_300.jpg[/img][/url]
AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
[color=#333333][font=Verdana, sans-serif][size=2][b]Bengals receiver A.J. Green, left, and QB Andy Dalton have formed a strong mutual admiration society.[/b][/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]Green has been the constant on an offense that has been beaten up (two starters on the offensive line are injured) and has proven to be unreliable. Dalton has had two interceptions returned for touchdowns and the usually dependable [/size][/font][/color][url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/11754/benjarvus-green-ellis"]BenJarvus Green-Ellis[/url][color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3] has fumbled three times in two games. Meanwhile, Green has gone over 100 yards receiving in back-to-back games and has scored a touchdown each week in the three-game win streak. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]"He’s clearly the player that they believe in the most on that offense," Jaguars cornerback[/size][/font][/color][url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/12646/derek-cox"]Derek Cox[/url][color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3] said. "I think they realize that in order for them to be successful, they need to get the ball in his hands. I’m sure that’s in their game plan every week.” [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]The greatest challenge for the Bengals offensively is trying to find ways to get Green open. On the first play in Washington, the Bengals put Green in the slot in the Wildcat formation to get him matched up against a safety. The result: a 73-yard touchdown pass. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]In most instances, Dalton just has to trust Green will come down with the ball when double-covered. There really is no errant pass when throwing to Green because of his great hands and willingness to lay out for throws. He has the size to get off press coverage, the moves in route-running to shake off cornerbacks and the acceleration to get behind safeties. His 16 receptions of 30 yards or more since he entered the league in 2011 ranks first over that span, one more than Fitzgerald and Johnson, according to ESPN Stats & Information. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]What separates Green from other great receivers is how he carries himself. He's [/size][/font][/color][url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/1433/randy-moss"]Randy Moss[/url][color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3] without the baggage. Green has yet to demand the ball or belittle his quarterback. In fact, Green has been one of Dalton's biggest supporters. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]"The thing about Andy is he doesn't care where the defenders are, he's going to put that ball where I can go make a play," Green said. "He's one of the best at that. The guy can be great, I'm telling you." [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]In reality, Green is one of the few receivers who doesn't rely on his quarterback. It's the other way around. Green has been the centerpiece of the Bengals' offense since he was drafted fourth overall in the 2011 draft (quarterback [/size][/font][/color][url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13994/cam-newton"]Cam Newton[/url][color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3], linebacker [/size][/font][/color][url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13976/von-miller"]Von Miller[/url][color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3] and defensive tackle [/size][/font][/color][url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13992/marcell-dareus"]Marcell Dareus[/url][color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3] were selected before him).[/size][/font][/color]


[b] Most Receiving Yards Per Game
in First Two Seasons[/b]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=2][background=transparent]Since 1970[/background][/size][/font][/color]
Years Player Team Yards


1998-99 Randy Moss MIN 85.2
2010-11 Victor Cruz NYG 80.8
1982-83 Charlie Brown WAS 79.8
2011-12 A.J. Green CIN 78.2
1985-86 Jerry Rice SF 78.0

>> Min. 15 games
Source: ESPN Stats & Information

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]Green became the first rookie wide receiver to make the Pro Bowl since [/size][/font][/color][url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/4512/anquan-boldin"]Anquan Boldin[/url][color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3] in 2003, catching 65 passes for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns, and he's used his first full offseason in the NFL to get better. He attended all of the offseason workouts and spent time with Fitzgerald to pick up some tips before training camp began. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]This is why Ravens coach John Harbaugh called Green "maybe the best receiver in football" only days before the regular season began. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]Green's production has been as jaw-dropping as some of his catches. His average yards receiving per game (78.2) is the fourth-most by any player in his first two seasons since 1970. It's slightly better than Jerry Rice's average in his first two seasons (78.0 yards), according to ESPN Stats & Information. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]It's crazy to compare Green to Rice after he's played 19 games. But Green has proven in the first four weeks that he's the best receiver in the game right now. And no one on the Bengals believes Green is going to fall from that spot anytime soon. [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]“He was a cut above most players in the league from the start,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “He really was the most impressive rookie I’ve ever been around. Nothing A.J. does surprises the people who watch him every day, and we fully expected he would be even better this year. This is not a guy you worry about having a sophomore slump.”[/size][/font][/color]

[url="http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/55903/a-j-green-soaring-above-all-nfl-receivers"]http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/55903/a-j-green-soaring-above-all-nfl-receivers[/url]

[Jason]

[img]http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101015155605/muppet/images/f/f3/Kermit4.jpg[/img]
I used to say it's not easy being green.

Try covering him sometime.

[mgbrown66]

So glad he is playing for the good guys..

Buffalo is going to kick themselves for the next 10 years wishing they would have drafted him instead of Dareus.

[AmishBengalFan]

[quote name='Bengals1181' timestamp='1349277729' post='1165840']
[color=#333333][font=verdana, helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]In just his second NFL season, Green is second in the league in receiving yards (428) and is one behind the league leaders with three touchdown catches. He is on pace to catch 108 passes for 1,712 yards and 12 touchdowns. The numbers are more impressive when you consider the defense's focus every game is to stop him.[/size][/font][/color][/quote]

And this is exactly why the Steelers will look to injure him when we play our first game against them.

[coup000]

Very weird stat here...

Green makes his MVP Watch debut as arguably the best receiver in the NFL this season. Green accounts for 41 of the Bengals' 124 targets this season. The team is running its offense through him, with very good results. Green has made 20 of his 27 receptions outside the yard-line numbers, providing great value as a perimeter threat. [b]However, Green has yet to catch a pass on third down. He is the only player in the NFL with more than 16 receptions and none on third or fourth down.[/b]

That seems to re inforce my theory that we are outhinking ourselves on 3rd down. I think we are trying to be too cute especially on some of these 3rd and 3 or 4 with some very quick passes that are getting covered and then Dalton has nowhere else to go. Seems like running more normal plays would result in a higher success rate. I have faith in Gruden to fix it though.

[Bengals1181]

[color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif][background=rgb(245, 245, 245)]
[url="https://twitter.com/GeoffHobsonCin"][b]Geoff Hobson[/b] ‏[size=3][s]@[/s][b]GeoffHobsonCin[/b][/size][/url][/background][/font][/color][color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif][background=rgb(245, 245, 245)]
[url="https://twitter.com/search/?q=%23Bengals&src=hash"][s]#[/s][b]Bengals[/b][/url] WR A.J. Green's 5 favorite WRs: Rice, Larry Fitz, Calvin and Andre Johnson, Roddy White[/background][/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif][background=rgb(245, 245, 245)]
[url="https://twitter.com/GeoffHobsonCin"][b]Geoff Hobson[/b] ‏[size=3][s]@[/s][b]GeoffHobsonCin[/b][/size][/url][/background][/font][/color][color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif][background=rgb(245, 245, 245)]
In Green's first 20 games for [url="https://twitter.com/search/?q=%23Bengals&src=hash"][s]#[/s][b]Bengals[/b][/url], he's got more catches (97) and yards (1,532) than any of his Fav 5 had after their first 20 games[/background][/font][/color]

[T-Dub]

[quote name='AmishBengalFan' timestamp='1349280108' post='1165854']
And this is exactly why the Steelers will look to injure him when we play our first game against them.
[/quote]

To be fair, trying to injure the best offensive player is what passes for a defensive gameplan in Pittsburgh, no matter what week it is.

[fluhartz]

[quote name='coup000' timestamp='1349285721' post='1165897']
Very weird stat here...

Green makes his MVP Watch debut as arguably the best receiver in the NFL this season. Green accounts for 41 of the Bengals' 124 targets this season. The team is running its offense through him, with very good results. Green has made 20 of his 27 receptions outside the yard-line numbers, providing great value as a perimeter threat. [b]However, Green has yet to catch a pass on third down. He is the only player in the NFL with more than 16 receptions and none on third or fourth down.[/b]

That seems to re inforce my theory that we are outhinking ourselves on 3rd down. I think we are trying to be too cute especially on some of these 3rd and 3 or 4 with some very quick passes that are getting covered and then Dalton has nowhere else to go. Seems like running more normal plays would result in a higher success rate. I have faith in Gruden to fix it though.
[/quote]

this is a weird stat...but I am not concerned about this at all.. The Bengals have done fine(sans the rats game) without throwing to him much on third... when he starts getting them too, how will they stop them?






trick question..... they won't

[Bleeds Orange]

[quote name='AmishBengalFan' timestamp='1349280108' post='1165854']
And this is exactly why the Steelers will look to injure him when we play our first game against them.
[/quote]

Don't even say that.

[Oldcat]

[quote name='Bleeds Orange' timestamp='1349322386' post='1166081']
Don't even say that.
[/quote]

why not - its what they did in the game last year.

[|SF2|]

[quote name='fluhartz' timestamp='1349321287' post='1166076']


this is a weird stat...but I am not concerned about this at all.. The Bengals have done fine(sans the rats game) without throwing to him much on third... when he starts getting them too, how will they stop them?






trick question..... they won't
[/quote] I think its more the fact Gruden likes to throw short and underneath on 3rd down and Green drags coverage away from the gaps. I like the fact Gruden calls plays to get the first down rather than try for a lower percentage deep ball. Move the chains baby.

[Bengals1181]

[quote name='SF2' timestamp='1349325535' post='1166090']
I think its more the fact Gruden likes to throw short and underneath on 3rd down and Green drags coverage away from the gaps. I like the fact Gruden calls plays to get the first down rather than try for a lower percentage deep ball. Move the chains baby.
[/quote]

not just on third down, but I'd have Hawkins as my checkdown receiver on every play. One missed tackle and its a 30yd gain.

[oldschooler]

[size=6][b]Singular excellence[/b][/size]

Posted 7 hours ago

Geoff Hobson Editor Bengals.com

Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, who has watched A.J. Green catch everything in this 3-1 start, caught himself Wednesday when asked what style of receiver his gifted artist conjures on the canvas of the NFL.

"He's his own guy. I guess if you were to compare him, I don't know, I guess, I don't know," Gruden said after Wednesday's practice. "I don't want to compare him to Randy Moss because he put up numbers for a few years there that were sickening. I think he's got a ways to go but I think he's on the map right now. People know who he is. People are going to start comparing other people to him and not him to others."

Truth be told, when it comes to body type, the 6-4, 210-pound Green mirrors the 6-4, 210-pound Moss, and while Green says that's the guy he most closely resembles physically, Moss doesn't make his list of his top five favorite receivers.

That's a list of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice and four current perennial Pro Bowlers: Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, Atlanta's Roddy White, and the Johnsons of Detroit (Calvin) and Houston (Andre).

And after their first 20 NFL games, none have matched what Green has done in his first 20, a stretch he capped Sunday in Jacksonville when he racked up the first back-to-back 100-yard games of his career and finished the week with the second-most receiving yards in the NFL with 428. His defense can give him a hand because the man who leads Green by 27 yards, Miami's Brian Hartline, challenges the Bengals this Sunday (1 p.m.-ESPN 1530-AM) at Paul Brown Stadium.

FIRST 20 GAMES CATCHES YARDS AVG. TD

A.J. Green, CIN 97 1,532 15.8 10

Larry Fitzgerald, ARI 85 1,148 13.5 10

Andre Johnson, HOU 83 1,331 16.1 6

Jerry Rice, SF 71 1,303 18.4 4

Calvin Johnson, DET 71 1,113 15.7 7

Roddy White, ATL 35 495 14.1 3

Green is closest to Calvin Johnson, a frequent workout partner in their offseason home of Atlanta, where Johnson played at Georgia Tech while Green checked into Georgia.

"I watched him at Georgia Tech when I was in high school. I watched him a lot in those first two seasons. He didn't have that great of a quarterback. He didn't have the numbers, but I always thought he was going to be a great player," Green said. "(The offseason) helped a lot. Just being around a guy of his stature and seeing his body of work. Just take little notes on how he works and I asked him different questions ... I just go out there and try to take the little things. Just the way he attacks the ball."

Since they are the closest in chronology and draft order (Johnson was the second pick in the 2007 draft and Green was the fourth in 2011), they seem to be constantly compared. Even though Green and Johnson have different body types and quarterback situations. Green and quarterback Andy Dalton came into the league together and haven't missed a beat while Johnson had to deal with a rookie quarterback in his third season that later got hurt.

"I'm just blessed to have a quarterback come in the same year as you and be productive," Green said. "Never take that for granted. I've talked to a lot guys and they say Andy and I have a great, special thing and I'll never take that for granted."

But these are the guys that Green is watching on tape. He knows he's a different type receiver, but he was still able to watch them and work on the one thing he wanted to improve this season when it came to getting off the line of scrimmage.

"I think I'm my own receiver. My body is different than a lot of guys. Calvin is big (6-5, 240). Larry is 6-3 like 220. I'm 6-4 like 210. I'm an average-sized guy, but I feel like my strength is my hands—I'm able to catch a lot of things—and my body control," Green said. "Stevie Johnson has one of the best releases in the game. How patient he is off the line. Larry, Andre. All the top receivers I watch.

"I'm more comfortable with the offense. Working on my release, being more patient off the ball when they try to pressure me. That's the biggest thing in my game is working off pressure coverage."

It certainly paid off in Jacksonville during his 30-minute torture of a pretty good NFL cornerback in Rashean Mathis. Green is finding out there is a fine line in beating double coverage that blurs into quickness and patience.

"A lot of times it looks like single coverage, but the safety is over the top and the safety doesn't get over there fast enough," he said. "That's just me being patient off my releases and selling different routes. ... When you're playing guys (shaded) to your side, the key is getting up the field fast. It's getting over there before the safety can."

The three longest throws to Green on Sunday (42, 30, 18) were courtesy of the right sideline and accurate darts from quarterback Andy Dalton that walled off the safety. Green finished off Mathis with the 18-yard TD off a fade when he froze Mathis with an inside move before going back to the sideline.

"I was being more patient on my releases. I have more time than I think. That's what I'm trying to work on," said Green, who may be watching guys like Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson because they've already played the Dolphins.

Gruden expects Miami to play Green like they played Johnson in the opener and Fitzgerald on Sunday, which is a combination of one-on-one from cornerback Sean Smith and Smith getting help over the top from a safety. Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle, just off an 11-year stint as the Bengals secondary coach, knows full well the danger of Green and comes straight from the church of Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer that preaches no big play at the expense of constant blitzing.

(An interesting stat: The Bengals are tied for seventh most in the NFL with 16 passes of 20 yards or more. The Dolphins are tied for allowing the sixth-most 20-yard passes with 16.)

"Mathis has played a long time and covered a lot of great players and the week before (Redskins cornerback) DeAngelo Hall is not going to ask for help all the time and I don't think Sean Smith is going to want help every down either this week," Gruden said. "These guys are great players and they feel like they can cover anybody. They're not going to say, 'Hey, can you put a safety over me all the time?' They have pride and talent."

Miami's mixed coverages have split with the big guys. Last Sunday in the 24-21 loss to the Cards the Dolphins held Fitzgerald to eight catches for just 64 yards even though he was thrown 15 balls. He did score a TD, but his longest catch was just 13 yards. In Houston's 30-10 win in the opener, Andre Johnson wrecked the Dolphins on eight catches for 119 yards and a touchdown.

"He's going to get singled. It’s just a matter of us taking advantage of what he does," Gruden said. "(Jacksonville) won on some single matchups, too. But I think over the course of a game the more opportunities he gets in one-on-one coverage … if he gets eight of them, hopefully four or five of them are for big plays and that's what he's done so far."

Gruden smiled as he recalled that Green didn't make his first catch Sunday until the first snap after the two-minute warning in the first half.

"I said to myself, 'Self, not very smart. Let's try to throw it to A.J. every now and again,' " he said.

Whether he's singled or not.




http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Singular-excellence/45868cd8-362a-4aad-bde2-58c7c3ef178e

[oldschooler]

[list]
[*]





[url="http://www.bengals.com/media-lounge/videos/AJ-Green-in-the-Locker-Room-10312/2857086b-6ee1-44b6-855e-fe8d88bb122d"][img]http://prod.static.bengals.clubs.nfl.com//assets/images/imported/CIN/videos/video-thumbnails/2012/10-October/green121003--nfl_thumb_105_70.jpg[/img][/url]
[b] [url="http://www.bengals.com/media-lounge/videos/AJ-Green-in-the-Locker-Room-10312/2857086b-6ee1-44b6-855e-fe8d88bb122d"]A.J. Green in the Locker Room (10/3/12)[/url][/b]

(3:22)Posted 17 hours ago


Views: 544
[/list]

[Bengals1181]

[color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif][background=rgb(245, 245, 245)]
[url="https://twitter.com/GeoffHobsonCin"][b]Geoff Hobson[/b] ‏[size=3][s]@[/s][b]GeoffHobsonCin[/b][/size][/url][/background][/font][/color][color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif][background=rgb(245, 245, 245)]
[url="https://twitter.com/search/?q=%23Bengals&src=hash"][s]#[/s][b]Bengals[/b][/url] WR A.J. Green named AFC Offensive Player of Month[/background][/font][/color]

[Bengals1181]

[color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif][background=rgb(245, 245, 245)]
[url="https://twitter.com/kkellynky"][b]Kevin Kelly[/b] ‏[size=3][s]@[/s][b]kkellynky[/b][/size][/url][/background][/font][/color][color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif][background=rgb(245, 245, 245)]
A.J. Green named AFC Offensive Player of the Month. He's the first[url="https://twitter.com/search/?q=%23Bengals&src=hash"][s]#[/s][b]Bengals[/b][/url] player to be recognized as such since Carson Palmer in Sept '05.[/background][/font][/color]

[scharm]

I was so hopoing Green would go over 200 at Washington. Just a monster game and to get a 200 yard game would have been the absolute top.

I think Chad's NFL 3 game record is in the range of 573. AJ would need a monster game to bust it this weekend.

[coup000]

[quote name='SF2' timestamp='1349325535' post='1166090']
I think its more the fact Gruden likes to throw short and underneath on 3rd down and Green drags coverage away from the gaps. I like the fact Gruden calls plays to get the first down rather than try for a lower percentage deep ball. Move the chains baby.
[/quote]

Obviously it hasn't hampered the offense too much, but you do realize we are the 4th worst team in the entire league at converting on 3rd down? 27.7%. So we actually aren't moving the chains much at all on 3rd down. Our saving grace is that we are also have the 6th least # of attempts so we are getting plenty of first downs on 1st/2nd down. Even still we have only converted 13 all year, least in the league. Amazingly, we are still 14th in overall first downs.

[Jason]

[quote name='coup000' timestamp='1349361519' post='1166160']
Obviously it hasn't hampered the offense too much, but you do realize we are the 4th worst team in the entire league at converting on 3rd down? 27.7%. So we actually aren't moving the chains much at all on 3rd down. Our saving grace is that we are also have the 6th least # of attempts so we are getting plenty of first downs on 1st/2nd down. Even still we have only converted 13 all year, least in the league. Amazingly, we are still 14th in overall first downs.
[/quote]

That happens when you have a lot of 40+ yard plays.

[Phatcat]

In regard to 3rd conversion, there is no doubt that number has to improve but doesn't tell the whole story. Football Outsiders looks at all the Drive stats for each team. The Bengals are 6th in yards/drive. For comparison the Bengals were 21st last year.

[coup000]

We've got to be close to the top of the league in yards per play on 1st and 2nd down

[Bleeds Orange]

[quote name='Oldcat' timestamp='1349323352' post='1166086']
why not - its what they did in the game last year.
[/quote]

Oh, I'm not saying it's not true. I just don't want to think about it.

[Bengals1181]

[color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif][background=rgb(245, 245, 245)]
[url="https://twitter.com/FSOhioZJackson"][b]Zac Jackson[/b] ‏[size=3][s]@[/s][b]FSOhioZJackson[/b][/size][/url][/background][/font][/color][color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif][background=rgb(245, 245, 245)]
Marvin Lewis statement on AJ Green, Player of The Month: “We’ve known from that start we are coaching a player with truly superior ability.”[/background][/font][/color]

[Oldcat]

[quote name='coup000' timestamp='1349361519' post='1166160']
Obviously it hasn't hampered the offense too much, but you do realize we are the 4th worst team in the entire league at converting on 3rd down? 27.7%. So we actually aren't moving the chains much at all on 3rd down. Our saving grace is that we are also have the 6th least # of attempts so we are getting plenty of first downs on 1st/2nd down. Even still we have only converted 13 all year, least in the league. Amazingly, we are still 14th in overall first downs.
[/quote]

Not hugely shocking given that we haven't got the run game on track.

[Bengals1181]

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[url="https://twitter.com/GeoffHobsonCin"][b]Geoff Hobson[/b] ‏[size=3][s]@[/s][b]GeoffHobsonCin[/b][/size][/url][/background][/font][/color][color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif][background=rgb(245, 245, 245)]
[url="https://twitter.com/search/?q=%23Bengals&src=hash"][s]#[/s][b]Bengals[/b][/url] WR A.J. Green on NBC Sports Network today at 5 p.m.[/background][/font][/color]