Film Rook: Reviewing A.J. Green's Week 1 performance

You could argue that A.J. Green's performance against the Raiders had mixed results.

It was a pedestrian five-catch performance, generating 63 yards receiving... including this 30-yard reception with 4:31 remaining in the second quarter.

Let's not minimize the play -- it converted a third-and-seven during a possession that resulted in Jeremy Hill's second touchdown and an eventual 17-0 lead. With over 12 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Andy Dalton spliced through two defenders with Green deflecting their attempts at tackling for an 18-yard gain.

Then there was "the drop"; perhaps one of the more surprising declines for an offense that was otherwise "impressive". With 10:22 remaining in the second, Andy Dalton floated the football to Green, who had the advantage over TJ Carrie, but failed to haul it in.

Green, having signed a four-year extension worth $60 million in new money, is one of the highest paid receivers in the NFL. The highest paid wide receiver is Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who is ironically named Megatron, who usually loses every confrontation against the Autobots.

Yet, Green in his humbleness and maturity, doesn't care about fiscal or statistical comparisons, writes Bengals.com:

"I didn’t really check (the boxscores). It’s a different week. I’m just focused on what I’m going to do. I don’t get caught up in all that other stuff now. I just focus on what I can do and control. When I was younger, my first year,’ said Green, when asked when he would have checked the numbers. "I don’t pay attention. It’s how I finish."

With the rise of Tyler Eifert, who dominated Sunday's game with 104 yards receiving, Green can have uninspiring performances without crashing. That being said, he needs a commanding performance, especially after missing time last season, the drop against Oakland and the preseason miss against Tampa Bay that led to a pick-six which overtook pessimists' minds.

A good start would be against San Diego, who held Green to 34 yards receiving during the 2013 Wild Card round, despite being targeted nine times with only three resulting in receptions.