Bernard Pollard must be getting the Bengals confused with the Patriots.
The safety has been in the middle of several damaging New England injuries: Tom Brady’s torn ACL and MCL in 2008, similar injuries for Wes Welker in 2009 and Rob Gronkowski’s ankle in last season’s AFC Championship game. Pollard, who is now with the Ravens, sent out a warning to Bengals receiver A.J. Green that coming across the middle could be a risky move for the second-year star when the AFC North rivals open their season Monday night against each other.
“I think A.J. Green is a really special talent,” Pollard said, according to The Baltimore Sun.
“The guy can go down the field, he can go across the middle. But, when he goes across the middle, he has to see us. And that’s not taking anything away from him, but this is what we live for. When we see receivers come across the middle, if we are in the right defense, we are going to smack you, and we are going to let you know that you came across the middle on the wrong team. Having said that if you miss him, he can hit a home run.”
Green is coming off a tremendous rookie season where he had 65 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. Pollard played for the Chiefs when Brady got hurt, the Texans when Welker was injured and the Ravens since last year.