Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman devised a simple plan when asked Thursday what cornerback Antonio Cromartie needs to do to contain Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green on Sunday.
“What does he need to do? Put his hands on him and pray,” Thurman said jokingly.
Green is the centerpiece of the Bengals offense and the biggest matchup of this week for the Jets. It is expected the 6-foot-4 wide receiver will be facing the 6-foot-2 Cromartie most of the day.
“It’s a tough task every single week,” Cromartie said. “He’s a great receiver for that team, and he’s one of the best receivers in the NFL right now. They want to try to get the ball to him. I think for us, it’s just to be patient and pick and choose and be physical and just play football.”
Green is the latest test for Cromartie, who has faced Atlanta’s Julio Jones and Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders in recent weeks. Green has 43 catches for 619 yards and five touchdowns this season. He started off slowly, but has broken out over the past two weeks. He has caught six passes in each of the last two games. Against the Lions last week he had 155 yards receiving and a touchdown.
“What does the kid not have?” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “He has size, speed, athleticism, route running [and a] great catching radius. Like I said, in my opinion, he’s probably the best receiver in the AFC. There are some good receivers, but in my opinion, he’s probably the best.”
Cromartie is coming off one of his best games of the season against the Patriots when he shut down Kenbrell Thompkins. Cromartie gave up just one catch for 11 yards.
“He played an outstanding game,” Ryan said. “He used his hands at the line of scrimmage more. [Thompkins] is a decent receiver that they have there. I thought Cro did an excellent job on him.”
Playing more physical at the line of scrimmage is something Cromartie talked about doing more of last week. He felt he had gotten away from it in the Jets’ first six games. It will be a key again this week against the long-bodied Green.
“[Cromartie’s] a force when he plays to 6-2,” Thurman said. “I’ve been saying this to you guys since he’s been here. When he plays to his height and his length, he’s hard to deal with. It’s just a matter of continual focus. You need to play like this. When he does, he’s hard to throw at.”
Cromartie said Green reminds him of Randy Moss and Calvin Johnson, two other tall receivers who could make plays down the field.
The Bengals have moved Green around the field, playing him on both sides and in the slot, something Cromartie said won’t be a problem if the Jets want him to shadow Green all day.
“I can play anywhere,” Cromartie said. “I can play any positions they need me to play, slot or outside. That doesn’t bother me at all.”
Cromartie admitted last week this has not been his best season. Coming off a Pro Bowl year, Cromartie was asked to step into Darrelle Revis’ role of stopping the other team’s best receiver. He’s had some breakdowns and given up a few huge plays. The website Pro Football Focus, which does statistical analysis of games, has him rated as the 106th cornerback out of 107 in the NFL.
But Green does not see this as an easy matchup for him either.
“ I don’t think he’s struggling,” Green said. “I just think guys are putting him in good position, putting the ball in good position. He’s a great corner. Like I said, he’s been around this league a long time. Corners are going to get beat here and there, but I think he’s one of the best in the league.”