A.J. Green: Bengals’ OC change ‘woke everybody up’

The Cincinnati Bengals have only one victory, and that was against the winless Cleveland Browns.

Whether their change in offensive coordinators had anything to do with that is a matter of opinion.

‘Everybody had to raise their level of play’

What wide receiver A.J. Green knows is that since Sept. 25, when the Bengals made Bill Lazor the new man putting together the offensive game plan and calling plays, Green and his teammates on offense have felt a greater sense of urgency.

“I think it woke everybody up,” Green told Bruce Murray and James Lofton on the SiriusXM Blitz. “Everybody had to raise their level of play because we weren’t getting the job done as a team. And whatever the changes were made, I always said that, ‘Play-callers call the plays and the players should be able to run them.’ And I’m sticking by that. Everybody got together and everybody had to elevate their game.”

The Bills are ‘so disciplined’ on defense

That elevation is going to be especially important Sunday, when the Bengals face the 3-1 Buffalo Bills at Paul Brown Stadium. Buffalo’s defense has been dominant, allowing the fewest points in the NFL and only a single touchdown through the air.

“They’re so disciplined,” Green said. “I think that’s what makes them so great. They’re all sound, they don’t give up big plays. They all play their technique real well.

‘You can’t get frustrated because we’re not going to be able to beat them with big chunk plays all the time’

“You’ve got to drive. You can’t get frustrated because we’re not going to be able to beat them with big chunk plays all the time. We have to be focused on picking up the first downs and moving the ball and not turning the ball over.”