A.J. Green Injury: Status, Update and Fantasy Value for Week 11

When the Cincinnati Bengals drafted A.J. Green, it was with the assumption that he would be a No. 1 receiver in a few years. Instead, the team is fighting for a playoff berth and he has been a key to that resurgence. His knee injury is going to wreak havoc on the team if he is unable to go today against Baltimore.

Green is listed as doubtful and it will take a small miracle for him to be able to play, which means that someone will have to step up in his absence. 

Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer lists a few possibilities, but does not feel comfortable about any of the choices. 

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Andre Caldwell would get the start in place of Green but the one receiver who will have to stand up is Jerome Simpson. With the exception of two games and one play at Tennessee, that has not been the case this year. According to Pro Football Focus, Simpson has the second-worst catch percentage among receivers who have had over 50 passes intended for him.

Simpson has 26 receptions out of 56 targets for a 46.4 catch percentage. The worst in the league is Oakland’s Denarius Moore at 45.1 percent (23 of 51).

The fourth-year player has been wildly inconsistent. He has two 100-yard games and showed his athleticism on touchdown catches at Seattle and Tennessee, but other than that he has disappeared. He’s also tied for eighth in drops with six.

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The good news for the Bengals is that the Ravens will likely be without Ray Lewis and have been unable to beat anyone but the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This is a critical game for both teams as they battle for positioning and the wild card spots in the AFC, so the Bengals to losing their best playmaker is a crippling blow. 

However, they are not doomed. They have won this season thanks to a great combination of strong defense and running the ball. If they can do that, they will have success against the Ravens. If they can't, they will look like the team we all expected them to be before the season started. 

Green's absence leaves a hole the size of a crater in the Bengals' offense, and it will be difficult for them to come back from in this game.