PLAYER OF THE DAY

When in doubt, always give it to wide receiver A.J. Green. When you pick a six-time Pro Bowler, how can you go wrong? Especially in this training camp. Want to hear something scary? Talk to enough people at Paul Brown Stadium and they'll tell you his seventh camp is the best one he's ever had.

"I would agree with that," said quarterback Andy Dalton after Wednesday's practice, the last full-scale workout before Saturday's game (7 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 12) at PBS against the Chiefs.

And who should know best? Dalton has thrown to him in every camp.

"The technique he has done every route, you can tell he's put a lot of work in the little details of it and it showed," Dalton said.

The days and the plays blur in your mind. On Wednesday Green eased past KeiVarae Russell for a go route touchdown in a team drill against a cornerback that's having a nice camp. In fact, Russell got a "Good job," from head coach Marvin Lewis for keeping his technique and head on the play to compete. But Green made it look easy. Russell can take solace in the fact Green drilled perennial Pro Bowler Darrelle Revis for a dozen catches and 160 yards last year.

That one-handed, almost back-handed grab falling out-of-bounds in one-on-ones even though cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick was plastered on him? Was that Wednesday, Tuesday, or Monday?

"That was yesterday," Green said Wednesday.

  Wide receivers coach James Urban, who has also seen Green in every camp snap, has come to expect it.

"He's looked as good as he's ever looked to me," Urban said. "He doesn't attract too much attention to himself. When he's not there, as we well know, he's extremely noticeable when he's not there. He's in great shape physically. He's in a great spot mentally. He's lean, fast, strong. He works his tail off."

PLAY OF THE DAY: If the veteran kicker has to beat the drafted rookie by a knockout, Jake Elliott is still standing but he had the worst round of his camp Wednesday when he missed three of his four field-goals tries. When he was iced, veteran Randy Bullock missed, but he was able to kick it again from 50 and made it on his way to a 4-for-4 day.

As Bullock said, "It was a good day,' when three of the four field-goal attempts were from 50, 53 and 54. And how could camp have gone much better? He didn't miss until Monday and Bullock figures he's at about 95 percent for the preseason. It's believed Elliott had missed two coming into Wednesday, so it's tight considering neither missed in last Friday's game.

"I feel like more than anything I've kicked very well, played at a high level, try to maintain it, take care of my body and carry it on into the regular season," Bullock said.

Bullock and Elliott have also been consistent with another thing. They both say they're not paying attention to the other guy's stats.

"Absolutely,' said Bullock, when asked if it's been a fairly run competition. "We've been kicking from basically the same spots. It's been good."

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Bengals rookie wide receiver John Ross on his imitation of head coach Marvin Lewis in Tuesday night's rookie show:

"I could always imitate people's laughs. In college I used to do Bernie Mac. I knew for the rookie show that's what I wanted to do, so I watched (Lewis) every day. Little by little I paid attention to the things he did and just try to pick up some of the words he says. He definitely changes it up. It's difficult, but I tried my best. He just laughed. There were a lot of times when he said something I would tell him, 'Be quiet, I got this,' and the whole room went crazy laughing. The veteran guys were telling me I did a really good job with it, so I think it was a success."

SLANTS AND SCREENS: The Bengals broke camp Tuesday night but were back at it Wednesday afternoon in shoulder pads and shorts …

Russell came back from being in concussion protocol …

The yearly rite when camp breaks is the rookie show, but there was a rarity. Defensive end Jordan Willis said he pulled himself from the show. The reason? Lack of charisma: "I just like doing what's in my character. I just like staying within my character." …

At least he saw a good show. In addition to Ross-Lewis, there was Michigan defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow singing the national anthem and throw back pictures of the vets in their younger, goofier days.  But the best bit of all had to be the one pulled off by tackle Kent Perkins and tight end Mason Schreck. It was a fake text conversation between Lewis and linebacker Vontaze Burfict where the Lewis actor would say what he really wanted to say, delete it, and then send something else and the Burfict character would respond the same way …