Cincinnati Bengals’ second year wide receiver from Georgia A.J. Green was named by the NFL as AFC Offensive Player of the Month Thursday. He nearly achieved a triple crown of sorts in for September showdowns.
Green led the AFC in receptions (27), was second in receiving yards (428) and tied for most touchdowns (three) among AFC receivers. Beyond his statistics, he continued to demonstrate that his ability to make tough catches is exceptional.
He will be on the field at Paul Brown Stadium this Sunday as the Bengals host Miami, paired against Dolphins’ wide receiver Brian Hartline, the only AFC player with more receiving yards (455) this season.
Photo Credit: Bengals.com
In just his second season in the NFL with fellow teammate in quarterback Andy Dalton, Green is quickly becoming one of the league’s premier pass catchers.
“They (Green and Dalton) look like they’re developing,” said Dolphins’ head coach Joe Philbin, according to team’s press release. “They came in together and have grown up in the league together. They’re both very good football players. They both look like they are excellent competitors…They have all the skills that you look for in good quarterbacks and receivers.”
Green went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie last season, the first rookie WR voted directly to the game since Baltimore Ravens’ wide receiver Anquan Boldin in the 2003 season.
“We’ve known from that start that we are coaching a player with truly superior ability,” said Bengals’ head coach Marvin Lewis. “A.J. was the most impressive rookie I’ve ever been around, and his desire to continue getting better and be a team player is just as impressive. We congratulate him on this honor.”
The last Bengals player to win an AFC Player of the Month award was kicker Mike Nugent, named for Special Teams in September of 2010. The last Bengal named Offensive Player of the Month was quarterback Carson Palmer (now with the Oakland Raiders) in September of 2005. Defensive end Antwan Odom won the Defensive award in September of 2009.
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