It's not often that a team's season potentially takes a turn for the worse during their bye week, but that could end up being the case with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Although the Bengals were off over the weekend, they got some bad news regarding star wide receiver A.J. Green. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Green will definitely miss "some games" as he continues to deal with a toe injury that he originally suffered during the Bengals' 37-34 win over the Buccaneers in Week 8.
If Green's out just two games, that would be a nightmare for a Bengals team that will be playing the Saints and the Ravens over the next two weeks. Without Green on the field, it won't be easy for the Bengals offense to keep up with the high-flying Saints. Also, if Green's out for the Baltimore game, the Bengals could have trouble moving the ball against a Ravens defense that has been one of the best in the NFL all year.
The news could potentially get worse for the Bengals and that's because there's a chance the Green could miss some substantial time. The wide receiver is visiting with foot specialist Robert Anderson in Green Bay and is hoping he won't need surgery on his toe. If Green does need surgery, there's a chance that he could miss the rest of the season, which would be a blow for a 5-3 Bengals team that's currently slotted into the second wild card spot in the AFC.
As things stand now, it's looking like the Bengals may have avoided the worst-case scenario in this situation. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said Monday that Green won't have to undergo surgery. However, Lewis refused to offer a timetable for Green's return.
Marvin Lewis said AJ Green does NOT need surgery this year. But as to his timetable to return, he didn’t say.
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) November 5, 2018
Green's injury is somewhat of a surprise and that's because he had said that his toe was fine after the Bucs game. The wide receiver injured himself after making an 11-yard catch with just under 20 seconds left to play that help set up Randy Bullock's game-winning field goal. Following the win, Green told reporters that he had jammed his toe, but that he expected it to be fine.
Although Green will likely be out this week, the Bengals could be getting two offensive players back. Both Giovani Bernard and John Ross were practicing with the team on Monday after missing time due to injury. The team also promoted wide receiver Auden Tate from the practice squad.
Besides Green, the Bengals suffered another big injury blow during the Bucs game. Defensive end Carl Lawson tore his ACL and he was officially placed on injured reserve Monday.
