Bengals need A.J. Green on the move to beat Panthers

A.J. Green is one of the best receivers in the NFL, but if the Bengals line him up against James Bradberry every snap this week they are going to lose.

When you ask fans who the best couple wide receivers in the NFL are you’re going to hear A.J. Green’s name come up quite a few times. The same can’t be said about James Bradberry’s status among the league’s top cornerbacks. That might lead you to believe the Bengals have a massive advantage in this matchup on Sunday.

There is a talent gap between the two players, but Bradberry has been exceptional this season. Last week, he held Julio Jones to just five catches for 64 yards. With all due respect to Green, Jones is a better player at this point in their respective careers. That means Marvin Lewis and the Bengals coaching staff need to be smart about how they deploy Green in this game.

The good news for Cincinnati fans is that the offense is already used to moving Green around the formation. Last week, all three of his touchdowns game when he lined up in the slot. Typically, the Panthers don’t slide Bradberry inside to follow a receiver. That means Green will get more favorable matchups against Carolina’s nickel corners.

It’s very likely this game will be won and lost largely on the outcome of those matchups. If Green is able to light up the Panthers secondary for multiple touchdowns, it’s going to be very difficult for the Carolina defense to slow down the Bengals attack. If, on the other hand, Green gets shut down by Bradberry and company, the loss of Joe Mixon in the Cincinnati running game is really going to show up. Green’s ability to make big plays is going to swing the matchup on this side of the ball.

Of course, the Panthers have some offensive weapons of their own. Cam Newton and company held up their end of the bargain last week in Atlanta. They scored enough points to beat the Falcons but the defense couldn’t keep Matt Ryan and his receivers out of the end zone.

Specifically, the Bengals need to find a way to slow Christian McCaffrey down. That’s more of a challenge given how many ways he can hurt you. He comes into this week as the Panthers’ leading receiver on the season. In many ways, he’s the first receiver that defenses need to stop if they want to slow down this offense.

The fact that Carolina gave up over 100 yards rushing to Tevin Coleman last week is actually bad news for the Bengals. They’ll be determined to stop Giovani Bernard from even sniffing that level of production. Look for Green to make a big play or two, but it won’t be quite enough to get his team a big road win.