Haden, Green battle one more time
PITTSBURGH 鈥� It must鈥檝e been one of Ohio鈥檚 great match-ups because the internet鈥檚 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鈥檚 faced, and had Haden at No. 2.
The pair will renew their rivalry on Sunday when Green鈥檚 Cincinnati Bengals come to Heinz Field.
Haden, of course, is the Steelers鈥� new shutdown cornerback. He鈥檚 revived a career that might鈥檝e actually begun at the World鈥檚 Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, when Haden, covering Green on a corner route, slipped underneath to intercept Matthew Stafford鈥檚 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.
鈥淚 knew he was going to be a great one there,鈥� Haden said.
Green would鈥檝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 鈥� one returned for a touchdown 鈥� 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鈥檚 so physical.
鈥淛oe knows that if he can just disrupt your first two steps off the line, he鈥檚 got you,鈥� Green wrote. 鈥淗e鈥檚 probably the best there is at knocking you off your route just a little bit 鈥� just enough where the ball is a half-second early or a half-second late. This is the kind of stuff that doesn鈥檛 always make the highlights, but that you appreciate as a player.鈥�
But Haden isn鈥檛 playing all that much press man with the Steelers. In fact, he hasn鈥檛 seen much activity comes his way at all.
Coaches say that鈥檚 a good thing, and Haden agrees he鈥檚 been playing well.
鈥淵eah, you can see quarterbacks are looking, and then they鈥檙e looking away,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ith this defense, I鈥檓 able to play with a lot more vision, so I鈥檓 able to look at the quarterbacks. Sometimes they throw before the receiver comes out of his breaks. If I鈥檓 on top, and I can see out of my peripheral, and I see the quarterback looking at my dude, I鈥檓 breaking before he stops.
鈥淚鈥檓 just feeling very, very comfortable here, and the pass rush is getting there. I鈥檓 just standing back there all day. You don鈥檛 have much time so I鈥檓 able to break on stuff. I鈥檓 getting looks, but they鈥檙e not really throwing it.鈥�
Will he change up to play Green more physically off the line this week?
鈥淚 could switch it up here,鈥� Haden said. 鈥淚 play a little cover-2, cover-3, and man-to-man, too, but I鈥檓 just playing off. In Cleveland, when we were in man, they attached press to the calls. Here, they鈥檙e giving me a lot more latitude. It鈥檚 like 鈥楯oe, you know how to play ball. Just read the sticks. If it鈥檚 third-and-short, press the corner. If it鈥檚 first-and-10 or second-and-10, you can play how you want to play.'鈥�
In five games this season, Green鈥檚 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鈥檛 worried about stats as much as he鈥檚 enjoying the atmosphere.
鈥淚t feels really good here,鈥� he said. 鈥淩eally, really good to know every single week when we come in here that we鈥檙e 鈥� and not even like it matters 鈥� but we鈥檙e favorites in mostly all of our games. It鈥檚 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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a different feeling. When you go to practice everybody is like 鈥業f you do your job, we鈥檙e going to win.鈥� You don鈥檛 have to go outside to try to do other people鈥檚 stuff. You just come in here and do your job. It鈥檚 just way more relaxing and way more comfortable for me to know 鈥楯oe, study your tape and do what you do and it鈥檚 going to be fine for this team.'鈥�
EYE-POPPING CATCHES
Martavis Bryant put on a show at Wednesday鈥檚 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鈥檚 will by repeating 鈥淵ou can get this, you can get this鈥� 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.
鈥淢an, I loved it,鈥� said Haden. 鈥淚f you have what it takes to make a diving catch at practice, that鈥檚 when you know you鈥檙e preparing for the game. It means something to you. He could鈥檝e come back saying it was a little bit too far. But when you鈥檙e out there diving and making catches like that, he鈥檚 getting ready for the game.鈥�
鈥淭hey were cool,鈥� said Artie Burns. 鈥淚 hope he didn鈥檛 hurt himself.鈥�
鈥淣o, I didn鈥檛 get hurt at all,鈥� said Bryant. 鈥淚鈥檓 always trying to catch up to the ball. Our receivers coach always says 鈥楳an travels faster than ball.鈥� And I鈥檓 in good shape. I鈥檝e been working my body and my strength. I鈥檓 not really worried about the ground.鈥�
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
The Steelers didn鈥檛 talk much about Bengals mad man Vontaze Burfict, other than to say 鈥淗e鈥檚 a really good player.鈥� 鈥� Le鈥橵eon Bell, named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, said that Burfict hasn鈥檛 been the only Bengals defender to target him with ill intent over the last few years. Bell was asked to provide specifics. 鈥淭he Bengals,鈥� he said. Anyone in particular? 鈥淣o. Just the Bengals.鈥� 鈥� The Steelers released WR Justin Thomas from the practice squad and added OT Jake Rodgers. 鈥� Missing Wednesday鈥檚 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.