Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green Injury a Season-Killer?

A few weeks ago, it didn’t seem like the Cincinnati Bengals could do any wrong. They were undefeated, healthy, and owned one of the best offenses in the league. After losing to the New England Patriots however, things are starting to head downward for Marvin Lewis’ team. With the latest injury to WR A.J. Green, things have to be a bit shaken up in and outside of the Bengals’ locker room.

In case you missed it, this came from Bengals practice on Wednesday:

Green has had issues with his toe in the past, so this news definitely comes with caution. Other reports state that Green was in visible pain, and made it known as he was carted off.

This injury might not normally bring up so many pressing questions, but the timing of the re-aggravation hurts Cincinnati in a big way. They just got pummeled by the Patriots in prime-time, and now must play the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns in four of their next five games.

If Green is out for an extended period of time, the missing piece could be just enough to turn the tide of each game just enough for the opponent. Should Cincinnati lose against Carolina on Sunday, they’ll have to beat the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium to avoid dropping to 3-3 heading into a divisional clash against the Ravens, a game that could quickly drop them to 3-4.

With the Ravens facing a favorable upcoming schedule, they could get hot and surge to 6-2 with a win in that game. Should that happen, things could get very ugly, very fast for Marvin Lewis’ squad.

It’s the NFL, and anything can happen – for now however, the loss of A.J. Green could be just enough to hurt the Bengals and the balance of the offense.