Sunday’s Game
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) at Cincinnati Bengals (8-3-1)
1 p.m.
TV: Ch. 7, 12
Radio: 700-AM, 102.7-FM, 104.7-FM
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green has had at least 100 catches and 1,000 yards while being voted to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, but those streaks are in jeopardy with four games remaining in the regular season.
Green, who missed three full games and all but five snaps of another with a toe injury this season, has 45 catches for 686 yards, putting him on pace for 60 receptions for 915 yards.
A strong finish could get him to 1,000 yards, but Green has struggled to put up consistent numbers against the Steelers and Browns, whom they will face in three of the final four games.
“Big-time players make plays in big-time games,” Green said. “That’s what I have to do. I’ve got to find a way to make plays no matter what the coverage. That’s what I’m here for, to make those kinds of plays.”
Quarterback Andy Dalton leaned heavily on Green in the two Pittsburgh games last year, targeting him 32 times, which resulted in 15 catches for 134 yards. But the Steelers also have held Green to a single catch twice in his career, and not surprisingly Pittsburgh won both of those contests.
“Dick LeBeau is one of the best defensive coaches to ever coach, to play and coach,” Green said. “It’s always tough to go against him and that veteran defense. They’re always working some new guy in, but it’s the same concept.
“They don’t like to give up a lot of deep balls,” he added. “We’ve got to take what they give us.”
Criticism clarified: Right tackle Eric Winston, who signed Tuesday, used his first meeting with local reporters Wednesday to clarify some comments he made on Twitter earlier this season in response to Bengals coach Marvin Lewis' comments on concussions.
Following the press conference where Lewis blamed the media for making concussions linger longer, Winston, who is the president of the NFL Players Association, wrote, “Always good to see the NFL educating their HCs on health/safety. Glad they are taking the lead on serious issues like concussions. #sarcasm” in one post, followed by “Perpetuating the idea that it’s the medias fault that concussions “linger” longer just shows how far we still have to go in educating every1”.
“I didn’t refute it, but it wasn’t about Marvin,” Winston said Wednesday. “It had nothing to do with him. Some of that had been going around. Being an advocate for players, it is what it is. My comments never actually mentioned his name. So it really didn’t have anything to do with that. Sometimes, that’s pumped up a little bit.”
Injury update: Linebacker Vontaze Burfict (knee), defensive end Margus Hunt (ankle), defensive tackle Domata Peko (elbow) and wide receiver James Wright (knee) did not practice Thursday, while cornerback Adam Jones (concussion), defensive end Robert Geathers (hip), H-back Ryan Hewitt (illness), tackle Marshall Newhouse (hip) and guard/center Mike Pollak (knee) were back on the field after sitting out Wednesday.
Geathers and Jones were limited, but Hewitt, Newhouse and Pollak were full participants.
Green (thigh) also was limited for the second consecutive day, while left tackle Andrew Whitworth took his standard veteran day off.
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