“When you’re playing this game, you can’t have fear and I have no fear,” Green said after practice. “I just go out here and play and whatever is going to happen is going to happen. So I’m just going to play my regular game.”
After hauling in a deep pass from Andy Dalton on the first snap of 11-on-11 drills, Green went up high to catch a couple of touchdown passes in red zone drills, one over Dre Kirkpatrick and the other against Onterio McCalebb. He also made a nice adjustment for an over-the-the-shoulder catch on an underthrown ball, and the one that made everyone hold their breath was the diving snag he made on the sidelines.
“What I do in practice translates to the game,” Green said. “What I don’t do in practice, it’s hard to do in the game. I don’t care what it is. If I’ve got to dive, I’m just going to dive. If injuries still occur, it’s going to happen anyway. It’s the game of football.”
Head coach Marvin Lewis has repeatedly yelled at players to stay on their feet during camp, especially after watching wide receivers Marvin Jones and Andrew Hawkins get injured on plays where they dove for balls.
But like most cornerbacks in the league, that message isn’t going to stop Green.
“There’s nothing we can tell him,” offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said. “When the ball’s in the air, he’s going to go get it. There’s no ifs, ands or buts. If the ball’s catchable, he’s going to catch it. If there’s a brick wall right there, if there’s an elephant, it doesn’t matter. He’s going to go get it.”
Despite the impressive performance in his first live action since bruising his left knee three weeks ago during the first practice of training camp, Green still isn’t likely to play Saturday night in the second preseason game against Tennessee.
“Probably not, but we’ll see,” he said. “I want to. You know I want to. I’m the type of guy that needs my reps. I don’t feel the same if I don’t get my proper reps. Whatever the coaches decide, I’ll take it. But when I’m out there, I’m going to make the most of it.”
Asked if he expects to see Green against the Titans, Gruden quipped, “Hopefully on the sidelines signing autographs.”
Dalton was not surprised at all to see Green going all out in his first practice back.
“That’s what he does,” Dalton said. “He can do so much, and his ball skills are the best in the league. It was good to get him back out here.”
But the happiest person of all Thursday afternoon was Green.
“That’s the longest I’ve ever sat for one injury,” he said. “It was hard. Man, it was weird. I’m not used to watching my team playing out there knowing I couldn’t do anything. Seeing all my bothers out there working, it doesn’t seem like you’re part of the team when you’re not practicing.”
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