A.J. Green looked awfully comfortable on Revis Island, torching the Jets' secondary for 180 yards on 12 catches as the Bengals eked out a 23-22 win in New Jersey. Here is what you need to know:
- All hail A.J. Green, the underappreciated superstar. The Bengals wide receiver got behind Darrelle Revis on a 54-yard touchdown reception in the first half and finished the day with a god-like 12/180/1 slash on 13 targets. The Jets tried to give Revis help, but give the Bengals credit for finding ways to get the ball in the hands of their gifted playmaker. Green was brilliant enough to keep the offense humming without the injured Tyler Eifert and departed Marvin Jones and Mo Sanu.
- Todd Bowles isn't sleeping tonight. The Jets sacked Andy Dalton seven times, dominated for stretches, had an emotional home crowd playing behind them on the 15th anniversary of 9/11 ... and still came up one point short. Meanwhile, Jets kicker Nick Folk has more than just sleep to worry about. He missed an extra point and a chip shot field goal. Just a hideous loss for Gang Green during a deadly stretch of their schedule where they can't afford to give away games.
- The Jets had a top-10 offense last season behind huge years from both Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. The Cincinnati defense deserves much credit for finding a way to keep both in check, holding the pair to a combined five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. Shut down Marshall and Decker, shut down the Jets.
- We called Leonard Williams a Making The Leap candidate this offseason, and he's off to a scorching start. The second-year man had 2.5 sacks, six tackles and five quarterback hits. He was the most Geno Atkins-like figure on the field in a game that featured the real Geno Atkins.
- Andy Dalton deserves a world of credit for standing tall in the face of a ferocious pass rush. Dalton was sacked seven times but kept his eyes downfield en route to a very productive performance. This is the type of gutty performance that has to earn respect in a locker room.
