A. Brown

[Steelers>NFL]

I know we talk about him every week. But this kid is shaping up to be the best player on offense. He is quick. Makes the tough catches. And catches everything thrown his way.
He has a lot of heart...
Love watching him play. Except when he does the Tone 1st down BS!

[winwithd]

He might actually be better than Stonio. I liked the play of Saunders and C Allen too. The young guys are steppin up.

[SteelAbility]

I'm lovin' Brown right now. But I gotta admit, I am frustrated a bit with Wallace. With the amount of space defenders are giving him, he really should have a mammoth-sized mid-range game and it's just not there. If Wallace had Santonio-like moves in the 12-15 yard range, he'd be completely unstoppable.

[Iron Shiek]

I don't understand how they didn't get him the ball more. Essentially all of his catches were on one drive. He couldn't have been blanketed that bad...make an effort to get him the d*mn ball. The game should not have been this close. I hate complaining when we win (and maybe the fantasy manager in me is doing the complaining) but geez...he is so much better than any defender covering him.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Antonio Brown is on pace for a 70 catch, 1000 yard season right now, in his 2nd season.

Santonio Holmes has only had over 70 catches and over 1000 yards once in his career (and it was his 4th year in the NFL, after which we sent him packing for a 5th round pick...which incidentally was traded for Bryant McFadden and a 6th round pick that was used to select...drum roll please...Antonio Brown).

[AngryAsian]

Antonio Brown is our version of Wes Welker. Next year with a regular starter role, je should turn in pro-bowl numbers.

[LouSteel]

Santonio Holmes has only had over 70 catches and over 1000 yards once in his career (and it was his 4th year in the NFL, after which we sent him packing for a 5th round pick...which incidentally was traded for Bryant McFadden and a 6th round pick that was used to select...drum roll please...Antonio Brown).

Haha holy cow I never realized this.

The Steelers front office owns. We dump lazy Stonio and end up picking up an incredible young WR that apparently lives on the practice field.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Antonio Brown is our version of Wes Welker. Next year with a regular starter role, je should turn in pro-bowl numbers.

Hey! Rule number one of WR comparisons...only short white guys are allowed to be compared to Wes Welker.

:nono

[hawaiiansteel]

INSIDE THE LINES

By Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Monday, November 14, 2011

http://photos.triblive.com/photos/PITT/1361475/38844218E.jpg

Steelers receiver Antonio Brown celebrates with fans as he leaves the field after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals.


>> If it isn't broken, don't fix it. That's the approach the Steelers took in attacking Bengals cornerback Leon Hall. Antonio Brown, who finished with five catches for 86 yards, had a field day against Hall. He toyed with him all day but practically owned him on the Steelers' final drive of the first half. Brown kept the drive alive by twisting Hall in knots on two third-down completions — 21- and 15- yard gains that put the Steelers in scoring position at the Cincinnati 46-yard line. Then, Brown sprinted by Hall for 17 yards. The Bengals left Hall in man coverage on the weak side of field. Roethlisberger exploited a confused Hall, who didn't get any help from safety Chris Crocker.

Antonio Brown had four catches in a drive that netted a 39-yard field by Shaun Suisham for a 17-10 halftime lead and Brown now has 26 catches for 364 yards and three touchdowns in the Steelers' past three games.

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburght ... z1djC4MMAM (http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_767158.html#ixzz1djC4MMAM)

[steelblood]

how does antonio have 3 touchdowns in his last three games and one touchdown for the season? Nice job, fact checker.

[Captain Lemming]

Antonio Brown is our version of Wes Welker. Next year with a regular starter role, je should turn in pro-bowl numbers.

Hey! Rule number one of WR comparisons...only short white guys are allowed to be compared to Wes Welker.

:nono

Oh that is too funny.

[Scarletfire1970]

I know we talk about him every week. But this kid is shaping up to be the best player on offense. He is quick. Makes the tough catches. And catches everything thrown his way.
He has a lot of heart...
Love watching him play. Except when he does the Tone 1st down BS!Dude is great but, Ben is the best player on offense.

[Scarletfire1970]

INSIDE THE LINES

By Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Monday, November 14, 2011

http://photos.triblive.com/photos/PITT/1361475/38844218E.jpg

Steelers receiver Antonio Brown celebrates with fans as he leaves the field after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals.


>> If it isn't broken, don't fix it. That's the approach the Steelers took in attacking Bengals cornerback Leon Hall. Antonio Brown, who finished with five catches for 86 yards, had a field day against Hall. He toyed with him all day but practically owned him on the Steelers' final drive of the first half. Brown kept the drive alive by twisting Hall in knots on two third-down completions — 21- and 15- yard gains that put the Steelers in scoring position at the Cincinnati 46-yard line. Then, Brown sprinted by Hall for 17 yards. The Bengals left Hall in man coverage on the weak side of field. Roethlisberger exploited a confused Hall, who didn't get any help from safety Chris Crocker.

Antonio Brown had four catches in a drive that netted a 39-yard field by Shaun Suisham for a 17-10 halftime lead and Brown now has 26 catches for 364 yards and three touchdowns in the Steelers' past three games.

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburght ... z1djC4MMAM (http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_767158.html#ixzz1djC4MMAM)I am pretty sure Leon Hall was out of the game after the first half, so I don't know about owning him all day.

[feltdizz]

I think Brown is going to be our most complete WR when it's all said and done.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Brown now has 26 catches for 364 yards and three touchdowns in the Steelers' past three games.

He has 19 catches, 262 yards and one TD in his past three games


8 NE W 25-17 9 67 7.4 19 1
9 BAL L 20-23 5 109 21.8 32 0
10 @CIN W 24-17 5 86 17.2 21 0

[Captain Lemming]

I think Brown is going to be our most complete WR when it's all said and done.

Agreed. Speaking of complete, the kid's no Hines as a blocker but he is surprisingly effective for a little guy.

[feltdizz]

rules make Hines type blocking a fine and a flag... it's not necessary in today's NFL.

[hawaiiansteel]

Third is down for Brown

Thursday, November 17, 2011
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/201111/freed_steelers110711_3_160.jpg

Antonio Brown pulls in a pass against the Ravens in a Nov. 6 game at Heinz Field.

Hines Ward's loss is Antonio Brown's gain, and no receiver in the AFC has gained as many yards on third down as the second-year player from Central Michigan.

Brown made his first NFL start Sunday in Cincinnati for the demoted Ward, but he made his impact on the field earlier. His 18 third-down receptions are more than any receiver in the AFC as are his 282 yards on those plays.

"It's just the trust in my quarterback and the relationship and repertoire we're building," Brown said of Ben Roethlisberger. "And him trusting me in key situations when we need a play to move the chains. It's a tremendous accolade, and we want to continue to get better and build on it."

Brown is the first sixth-round draft choice to make such an impact with the Steelers since starting guard Chris Kemoeatu was selected in '05. Among other sixth-rounders who either never made it or did not stick around long were center Marvin Philip ('06), linebacker Mike Humpal ('08), defensive end Sonny Harris ('09) and guard Keith Williams ('11). Safety Ryan Mundy ('06) and halfback Jonathan Dwyer -- picked in the sixth round ahead of Brown in '10 -- are backups with the Steelers. The Steelers traded their sixth-round draft choice in '07 to move up in the fourth round to draft punter Daniel Sepulveda.

Brown does not regret his choice to enter the draft after his junior season at Central Michigan.

"I felt I did everything from a college standpoint. I think I was ready."

The NFL was not so sure because sixth-round draft picks often do not make it.

"I was a little upset about that, but I don't dwell in that moment," Brown said. "It's not where you start, it's where you finish."

Sunday was a start, his first, and likely not his last.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11321/11 ... z1dzd1SKAz (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11321/1190507-66-0.stm?cmpid=steelers.xml#ixzz1dzd1SKAz)

[RuthlessBurgher]

His 18 third-down receptions are more than any receiver in the AFC as are his 282 yards on those plays.

I know Brown was money on 3rd down, but I didn't expect him to be leading the AFC at this point. I figured that among the 72 catches for 1006 yards that Wes Welker has already, that more than 18 catches for 282 yards would have been on 3rd down.

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers' Brown climbing ladder of elite WRs

By Scott Brown, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, November 24, 2011

http://files.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2011-11-23/1124SteelBrowninsideCAH-a.jpg

Numbers might better illustrate Antonio Brown's emergence than words.

The 22nd wide receiver taken in the 2010 draft has 18 third-down receptions, which ranks third in the NFL.

His 282 receiving yards on third down are also third-most in the league, and that statistic is another reason why Brown has staked his claim to the No. 2 standing on a deep and talented receiving corps.

"I always knew I was capable," Brown said. "It's a league of opportunities, and that's all it's about."

Taking advantage of his opportunities is not the only reason why Brown, who turned 23 in July, has earned the trust of Ben Roethlisberger. And when the Steelers quarterback called Brown a "gnat" earlier this week he meant it as the highest compliment.

"If you watch us during practice, he's constantly by my side," Roethlisberger said. "He's just always right there and it's good because he's coming to me asking 'OK, Ben on this play do you want me to do this, do you want me to do this?' And I think that's awesome because I know where he's going to be and that's one of the biggest reasons why I think we've been so successful on third down."

The Steelers could have never guessed that Brown would progress this quickly after they spent the 195th overall pick in the 2010 draft on him.

The Steelers had received the sixth-round selection as well as cornerback Bryant McFadden from the Arizona Cardinals in a draft-day draft. The Steelers had given Arizona the fifth-round pick they had received when they traded wide receiver Santonio Holmes to the New York Jets.

The trade looks like it might have been a fair one even if Brown and Holmes were the only two involved in the deal.

Holmes has more of a resume, as Steelers coach Mike Tomlin would put it. But Brown has 154 more receiving yards and nine more receptions than Holmes through the first 10 games of the season.

Brown, who came to the Steelers by way of North Carolina Tech, a prep school, and Central Michigan University, hasn't just helped replace a former Super Bowl MVP (Holmes) in Pittsburgh.

The 5-10, 186-pounder appears to have supplanted one as well.

Brown started in place of Hines Ward in a 24-17 win at Cincinnati, and he appears to have moved ahead of the team's all-time leading receiver even though Ward is still listed as a starter on the Steelers' depth chart.

"He is improving in all areas," Tomlin said of Brown, "in route-running, coverage recognition, being quarterback friendly and just an overall understanding of the game and how he fits in the big picture. That's what we expect of all second-year men, to grow by leaps and bounds in all areas and he has done that to this point."

Brown gave a glimpse of what was to come last January when he made spectacular and timely catches in playoff wins over the Ravens and Jets.

Now, he is on a pace for his first 1,000-yard season by exploiting secondaries that pay too much attention to Steelers No. 1 wide receiver Mike Wallace.

"When you get single coverage and a guy that's as talented as he is, with body control, with his hands, he's got the speed to run deep... He just has a lot of tools (and) he puts in the extra work," Roethlisberger said.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... z1ebPHqmFT (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_768894.html#ixzz1ebPHqmFT)

[NorthCoast]

It's all about moves when running your route. Brown has them, Wallace not so much. Plus i think Brown has better hands than Wallace. But make no mistake, without both of them on the field, they wouldn't be getting near the opportunities. Similar situation on defense with Harrison and Woodley. One is a lot to handle, both are a big problem for an OL.

[DukieBoy]

All fire and no smoke, with Antonio over Santonio.

Would anyone trade Brown for Holmes today?

[Sugar]

All fire and no smoke, with Antonio over Santonio.

Would anyone trade Brown for Holmes today?

Not I, said the little blonde white boy! :lol:

It's funny that the Jets have two very good ex-Steelers receivers but there is no way I would trade our duo for theirs even if they do have more of a "resume."