A.J. Green and his one-handed catches might have saved the Bengals’ season

A.J. Green is easily one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. On Sunday against the Cleveland Browns in the Battle of Ohio, he showed us why. And he’s mostly doing it with one hand.

The Browns were hanging around with their AFC North rivals early in the game, even pulling ahead for a brief moment in the second quarter. The Bengals scored to get the lead back, and that’s when Green buried them with his phenomenal ability.

Green may have had the catch of the year, as Andy Dalton threw up a Hail Mary to get the Cincinnati Bengals into the end zone before the half. Green, with defenders draped all over him, came down with it somehow.

He tipped the ball with one hand quite a few times before ultimately coming down with that catch. It would only be appropriate, happening against the poor Browns who are now down to their fourth-string quarterback after Cody Kessler was ruled out with a concussion.

It’s just Week 7, but we might not see a better grab than this one. Andy Dalton said after the game that he thinks it should be the play of the year.

And that was just the beginning for Green.

The amazing grab gave the Bengals a 21-10 lead going into the locker room, and confirmed that A.J. Green is not human.

Green did again in the second half. It wasn’t a touchdown, but it was another sweet one-handed grab.

Sitting at his locker after the game, Green expressed his relief that the one-handed catches worked out. He said that he’d been practicing them this week, and missed a few.

Green finished the game with eight catches for 169 yards and a touchdown. That’s his third game this season with 150 or more yards. He’s done it eight times in his career. The Bengals’ season has gotten off to a slow start, but their playoff hopes aren’t dead yet, mostly because of A.J. Green and his one-handed catches.