CINCINNATI – Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green suffered what he called a bruised right arm in the first quarter of Monday night’s 37-28 win against Denver, an injury that forced him out of the game temporarily to have X-rays taken and was a major factor in Green failing to catch a pass for the first time in a game he played all four quarters.
Despite Green’s limitations, the Bengals won their 10th game of the season and clinched their fourth straight playoff berth. They will play at Pittsburgh Sunday night in a game that will determine which team wins the AFC North and which team will play on the road the first weekend of the postseason as a wild card.
Green said he’ll undergo more examination and tests on Tuesday but that he expects to be ready to play against the Steelers.
“I’m good,” said Green. “We’re playing for something big. We’re playing for a home playoff game.”
Quarterback Andy Dalton threw a slant pass to Green on the first play of the Bengals’ second possession but the throw was high. All Green could do was reach for the pass. He got one hand on it but that deflection allowed Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib the chance to make a diving interception. Talib made the pick, his fourth of the season, then got up and returned the ball 33 yards for his second touchdown return of the season and a 7-0 Denver lead.
Green was hit on the play and was slow to get up. He was attended to on the Bengals bench, missing the next two series. He came back and played one series that resulted in a 37-yard field goal by Mike Nugent that gave the Bengals a 10-7 lead. He left the field after the series for X-rays.
Green returned to the game but was visibly struggling with the injury and did not catch a pass in the first half on three targets as the Bengals took a 20-7 lead to halftime. Dalton targeted Green just one time in the second half.
Dalton completed just three passes on nine targets for 39 yards to wide receivers in the game. Tight end Jermaine Gresham led the Bengals with nine catches for 62 yards and one touchdown. Dalton finished the game completing 17 of 26 passes for 146 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for a passer rating of 89.6.
The Bengals were able to get away with the limited passing game because they ran the ball well. Denver had the No. 2-ranked rush defense coming into the game but the Bengals ran for 207 yards as a team, including 147 yards by rookie Jeremy Hill. Giovani Bernard added 81 yards and a touchdown on 13 touches in the run and pass game.
The only other game in Green’s four seasons in which he played but didn’t catch a pass was in Week 2 this season against Atlanta. He played one series against the Falcons before leaving the game with a turf toe injury, an injury that flared up later in the season and forced Green to miss three games.
“The other guys stepped up,” said Green. “The offensive line played great. Jeremy and Gio played great and the defense was outstanding.”
