Haden, Green battle one more time
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� It must无毛视频檝e been one of Ohio无毛视频檚 great match-ups because the internet无毛视频檚 full of stories about the rivalry between Joe Haden and A.J. Green.
Green even wrote a column in The Players Journal about the five toughest cornerbacks he无毛视频檚 faced, and had Haden at No. 2.
The pair will renew their rivalry on Sunday when Green无毛视频檚 Cincinnati Bengals come to Heinz Field.
Haden, of course, is the Steelers无毛视频� new shutdown cornerback. He无毛视频檚 revived a career that might无毛视频檝e actually begun at the World无毛视频檚 Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, when Haden, covering Green on a corner route, slipped underneath to intercept Matthew Stafford无毛视频檚 pass and return it 88 yards for a touchdown.
The two went from the Florida-Georgia rivalry to the Browns-Bengals rivalry after the Bengals drafted Green with the fourth pick of the 2011 draft. Haden, No. 7 in the 2010 draft, knew what that meant.
无毛视频淚 knew he was going to be a great one there,无毛视频� Haden said.
Green would无毛视频檝e been greater, apparently, had it not been for Haden, who, according to any number of stories, was beaten by Green for only one touchdown, that in 2011 when the Bengals caught the Browns still in their defensive huddle and Green caught a 41-yard lob for a score.
Green did catch a 51-yarder to produce a game-winning Bengals field goal in the second meeting in 2011, but Haden had two interceptions 无毛视频� one returned for a touchdown 无毛视频� in a 2013 game and has pretty much kept Green in check throughout their meetings.
Green wrote in The Players Journal last month that Haden has had that kind of success because he无毛视频檚 so physical.
无毛视频淛oe knows that if he can just disrupt your first two steps off the line, he无毛视频檚 got you,无毛视频� Green wrote. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 probably the best there is at knocking you off your route just a little bit 无毛视频� just enough where the ball is a half-second early or a half-second late. This is the kind of stuff that doesn无毛视频檛 always make the highlights, but that you appreciate as a player.无毛视频�
But Haden isn无毛视频檛 playing all that much press man with the Steelers. In fact, he hasn无毛视频檛 seen much activity comes his way at all.
Coaches say that无毛视频檚 a good thing, and Haden agrees he无毛视频檚 been playing well.
无毛视频淵eah, you can see quarterbacks are looking, and then they无毛视频檙e looking away,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淲ith this defense, I无毛视频檓 able to play with a lot more vision, so I无毛视频檓 able to look at the quarterbacks. Sometimes they throw before the receiver comes out of his breaks. If I无毛视频檓 on top, and I can see out of my peripheral, and I see the quarterback looking at my dude, I无毛视频檓 breaking before he stops.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 just feeling very, very comfortable here, and the pass rush is getting there. I无毛视频檓 just standing back there all day. You don无毛视频檛 have much time so I无毛视频檓 able to break on stuff. I无毛视频檓 getting looks, but they无毛视频檙e not really throwing it.无毛视频�
Will he change up to play Green more physically off the line this week?
无毛视频淚 could switch it up here,无毛视频� Haden said. 无毛视频淚 play a little cover-2, cover-3, and man-to-man, too, but I无毛视频檓 just playing off. In Cleveland, when we were in man, they attached press to the calls. Here, they无毛视频檙e giving me a lot more latitude. It无毛视频檚 like 无毛视频楯oe, you know how to play ball. Just read the sticks. If it无毛视频檚 third-and-short, press the corner. If it无毛视频檚 first-and-10 or second-and-10, you can play how you want to play.'无毛视频�
In five games this season, Green无毛视频檚 caught 32 passes for 504 yards and 3 touchdowns, putting him on pace for his first 100-catch season and a career-high 1,613 yards.
Haden, meanwhile, is looking for his first interception this season. He had 19 in seven seasons with the Browns, but isn无毛视频檛 worried about stats as much as he无毛视频檚 enjoying the atmosphere.
无毛视频淚t feels really good here,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淩eally, really good to know every single week when we come in here that we无毛视频檙e 无毛视频� and not even like it matters 无毛视频� but we无毛视频檙e favorites in mostly all of our games. It无毛视频檚 like we have to mess up, we have to hurt ourselves, to lose instead of all the stars kind of having to align for us to win.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a different feeling. When you go to practice everybody is like 无毛视频業f you do your job, we无毛视频檙e going to win.无毛视频� You don无毛视频檛 have to go outside to try to do other people无毛视频檚 stuff. You just come in here and do your job. It无毛视频檚 just way more relaxing and way more comfortable for me to know 无毛视频楯oe, study your tape and do what you do and it无毛视频檚 going to be fine for this team.'无毛视频�
EYE-POPPING CATCHES
Martavis Bryant put on a show at Wednesday无毛视频檚 practice with not one, but two eye-popping catches of deep passes.
The first was a throw that appeared to be well over his head. But a coach on the sideline guided Bryant无毛视频檚 will by repeating 无毛视频淵ou can get this, you can get this无毛视频� and Bryant ran it down with an extended burst of speed.
The second one was better and left the team awestruck. Bryant not only turned on that extra gear to run the ball down, he dove fully extended and grabbed the ball before slamming to the ground.
无毛视频淢an, I loved it,无毛视频� said Haden. 无毛视频淚f you have what it takes to make a diving catch at practice, that无毛视频檚 when you know you无毛视频檙e preparing for the game. It means something to you. He could无毛视频檝e come back saying it was a little bit too far. But when you无毛视频檙e out there diving and making catches like that, he无毛视频檚 getting ready for the game.无毛视频�
无毛视频淭hey were cool,无毛视频� said Artie Burns. 无毛视频淚 hope he didn无毛视频檛 hurt himself.无毛视频�
无毛视频淣o, I didn无毛视频檛 get hurt at all,无毛视频� said Bryant. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 always trying to catch up to the ball. Our receivers coach always says 无毛视频楳an travels faster than ball.无毛视频� And I无毛视频檓 in good shape. I无毛视频檝e been working my body and my strength. I无毛视频檓 not really worried about the ground.无毛视频�
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
The Steelers didn无毛视频檛 talk much about Bengals mad man Vontaze Burfict, other than to say 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a really good player.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Le无毛视频橵eon Bell, named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, said that Burfict hasn无毛视频檛 been the only Bengals defender to target him with ill intent over the last few years. Bell was asked to provide specifics. 无毛视频淭he Bengals,无毛视频� he said. Anyone in particular? 无毛视频淣o. Just the Bengals.无毛视频� 无毛视频� The Steelers released WR Justin Thomas from the practice squad and added OT Jake Rodgers. 无毛视频� Missing Wednesday无毛视频檚 practice with injuries were C Maurkice Pouncey (chest), LG Ramon Foster (back), RT Marcus Gilbert (hamsting), DL Stephon Tuitt (back) and ILB Vince Williams (hip). Gilbert is considered the most unlikely of the group to play Sunday.