Haden, Green battle one more time
PITTSBURGH ā It mustāve been one of Ohioās great match-ups because the internetās 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 heās faced, and had Haden at No. 2.
The pair will renew their rivalry on Sunday when Greenās Cincinnati Bengals come to Heinz Field.
Haden, of course, is the Steelersā new shutdown cornerback. Heās revived a career that mightāve actually begun at the Worldās Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, when Haden, covering Green on a corner route, slipped underneath to intercept Matthew Staffordās 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.
āI knew he was going to be a great one there,ā Haden said.
Green wouldāve 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 ā one returned for a touchdown ā 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 heās so physical.
āJoe knows that if he can just disrupt your first two steps off the line, heās got you,ā Green wrote. āHeās probably the best there is at knocking you off your route just a little bit ā just enough where the ball is a half-second early or a half-second late. This is the kind of stuff that doesnāt always make the highlights, but that you appreciate as a player.ā
But Haden isnāt playing all that much press man with the Steelers. In fact, he hasnāt seen much activity comes his way at all.
Coaches say thatās a good thing, and Haden agrees heās been playing well.
āYeah, you can see quarterbacks are looking, and then theyāre looking away,ā he said. āWith this defense, Iām able to play with a lot more vision, so Iām able to look at the quarterbacks. Sometimes they throw before the receiver comes out of his breaks. If Iām on top, and I can see out of my peripheral, and I see the quarterback looking at my dude, Iām breaking before he stops.
āIām just feeling very, very comfortable here, and the pass rush is getting there. Iām just standing back there all day. You donāt have much time so Iām able to break on stuff. Iām getting looks, but theyāre not really throwing it.ā
Will he change up to play Green more physically off the line this week?
āI could switch it up here,ā Haden said. āI play a little cover-2, cover-3, and man-to-man, too, but Iām just playing off. In Cleveland, when we were in man, they attached press to the calls. Here, theyāre giving me a lot more latitude. Itās like āJoe, you know how to play ball. Just read the sticks. If itās third-and-short, press the corner. If itās first-and-10 or second-and-10, you can play how you want to play.'ā
In five games this season, Greenās 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 isnāt worried about stats as much as heās enjoying the atmosphere.
āIt feels really good here,ā he said. āReally, really good to know every single week when we come in here that weāre ā and not even like it matters ā but weāre favorites in mostly all of our games. Itās 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.
āItās a different feeling. When you go to practice everybody is like āIf you do your job, weāre going to win.ā You donāt have to go outside to try to do other peopleās stuff. You just come in here and do your job. Itās just way more relaxing and way more comfortable for me to know āJoe, study your tape and do what you do and itās going to be fine for this team.'ā
EYE-POPPING CATCHES
Martavis Bryant put on a show at Wednesdayās 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 Bryantās will by repeating āYou can get this, you can get thisā 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.
āMan, I loved it,ā said Haden. āIf you have what it takes to make a diving catch at practice, thatās when you know youāre preparing for the game. It means something to you. He couldāve come back saying it was a little bit too far. But when youāre out there diving and making catches like that, heās getting ready for the game.ā
āThey were cool,ā said Artie Burns. āI hope he didnāt hurt himself.ā
āNo, I didnāt get hurt at all,ā said Bryant. āIām always trying to catch up to the ball. Our receivers coach always says āMan travels faster than ball.ā And Iām in good shape. Iāve been working my body and my strength. Iām not really worried about the ground.ā
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
The Steelers didnāt talk much about Bengals mad man Vontaze Burfict, other than to say āHeās a really good player.ā ā¦ LeāVeon Bell, named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, said that Burfict hasnāt been the only Bengals defender to target him with ill intent over the last few years. Bell was asked to provide specifics. āThe Bengals,ā he said. Anyone in particular? āNo. Just the Bengals.ā ā¦ The Steelers released WR Justin Thomas from the practice squad and added OT Jake Rodgers. ā¦ Missing Wednesdayās 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.