Is Antonio Brown the Greatest Steelers WR?

[diamondlucy]

Antonio is good. I love him yes. But there are more factors then just the numbers. So with that...right now...Antonio is not even in the top-5 best Steeler WR. And I laugh at anyone who would say that he is.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Antonio is good. I love him yes. But there are more factors then just the numbers. So with that...right now...Antonio is not even in the top-5 best Steeler WR. And I laugh at anyone who would say that he is.

And we laugh right back at you. Who else would be in your top 5 above him? Yancey Thigpen?

[RuthlessBurgher]

It was a different game back then, but no way I put Bell before Bettis. Bettis would carry the team for games at a time when the QB couldn't do squat. Bettis had the most amazing feet for a big man and could get yards dragging tacklers with him, pop back up, and be ready for the next run. Bell hasn't done that near enough in my mind to be considered better.

Brown? hard to argue that one... simply cannot be stopped, unless a team does a Burfict on him.

Bell is a multidimensional weapon. There is no weakness in his game. He can play ever aspect of the RB very well. Bettie, on the other hand was more of a one trick pony. Don't get me wrong, it was a helluva trick, and I love me some Bus, but Bell can simply do more.

[diamondlucy]

And we laugh right back at you. Who else would be in your top 5 above him? Yancey Thigpen?

Right now my top-5 are

1) Hines Ward
2) John Stallworth
3) Buddy Dial
4) Lynn Swann
5) Louis Lipps


Like I said, you can look just at the numbers with Antonio, and put him up there. But you have to look at the period a player played in, and what talent he had surrounding him. In that way...those are my top-4 greatest Steeler WR.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

I found this one on YouTube posted on 6-24-11 (following AB's nondescript rookie season) of him working out with Andre Johnson, Chad Johnson, and Santana Moss.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H92ZQ15sB90

That's not the one I remember, but probably from the same camp. I thought TO, but also remember Chad Ocho Johnson being there.

[Moonie]

Grew up in the Swann/Stallworth years, and Swann may still be my all time favorite Steeler on offense, but I'm convinced Brown is the best Steeler WR by quite a bit. Brown is the best receiver in the NFL for several years now. Superman.

[NorthCoast]

Bell is a multidimensional weapon. There is no weakness in his game. He can play ever aspect of the RB very well. Bettie, on the other hand was more of a one trick pony. Don't get me wrong, it was a helluva trick, and I love me some Bus, but Bell can simply do more.

Yes. Bettis was a one-trick pony that was rarely shut down. Defenses knew he was getting the ball and he still got yards. Bell simply hasn't done it enough in my mind when it really counts. It might be a closer call if he wasn't out of some of the most important games he could have played in.

It's a good debate and probably changes with time.

[Mr.wizard]

Antonio is good. I love him yes. But there are more factors then just the numbers. So with that...right now...Antonio is not even in the top-5 best Steeler WR. And I laugh at anyone who would say that he is.

This is the most absurd statement I have ever heard.

[Mr.wizard]

Right now my top-5 are

1) Hines Ward
2) John Stallworth
3) Buddy Dial
4) Lynn Swann
5) Louis Lipps


Like I said, you can look just at the numbers with Antonio, and put him up there. But you have to look at the period a player played in, and what talent he had surrounding him. In that way...those are my top-4 greatest Steeler WR.

Even if you ignored the stats, not a single guy on that list is more talented than Brown.

[diamondlucy]

Even if you ignored the stats, not a single guy on that list is more talented than Brown.

The question wasn't who was the most TALENTED...but the greatest. Those two things are 100 % opposite of each other.

[Mr.wizard]

The question wasn't who was the most TALENTED...but the greatest. Those two things are 100 % opposite of each other.

So your excluding stats and talent in your assessment of the greatest receivers? How in the hell are you measuring these receivers?

[diamondlucy]

So your excluding stats and talent in your assessment of the greatest receivers? How in the hell are you measuring these receivers?

No I am not. But I also am considering the fact that both Lipps and Dial had way way less surrounding talent around them to ease the defensive pressure that they saw. Lipps for example was Double and sometimes triple teamed every single down. Has Antonio ever been ?...( No )...All of the WR I listed did not play in the " No touch " league that is today's game. Lets see Antonio get what he has gotten if he played back when DB's could use their hands on you from the get go, and take your Head off on Tackles.


There are factors you are not taking into consideration when rating Antonio the Greatest WR ever for the Steelers. He may one day be that. But right now....not close.

[Mr.wizard]

No I am not. But I also am considering the fact that both Lipps and Dial had way way less surrounding talent around them to ease the defensive pressure that they saw. Lipps for example was Double and sometimes triple teamed every single down. Has Antonio ever been ?...( No )...All of the WR I listed did not play in the " No touch " league that is today's game. Lets see Antonio get what he has gotten if he played back when DB's could use their hands on you from the get go, and take your Head off on Tackles.


There are factors you are not taking into consideration when rating Antonio the Greatest WR ever for the Steelers. He may one day be that. But right now....not close.

AB also plays in an era of complex defensive schemes with unprecedented size and speed at every defensive position, the idea that those guys from those era's faced better coverage is absurd. AB is better than any of those receivers in every single way, you cannot tell me that AB's game wouldn't translate to those era's, he would be a monster going against DB's and safeties from those era's. I can't see any of those guys on your list being the best receiver in football in today's game, most probably wouldn't even be a number 1 on most teams.

[diamondlucy]

AB also plays in an era of complex defensive schemes with unprecedented size and speed at every defensive position, the idea that those guys from those era's faced better coverage is absurd. AB is better than any of those receivers in every single way, you cannot tell me that AB's game wouldn't translate to those era's, he would be a monster going against DB's and safeties from those era's. I can't see any of those guys on your list being the best receiver in football in today's game, most probably wouldn't even be a number 1 on most teams.

You can think whatever...my list is not based on my love for any of those guys or my feelings for AB. It is based on pure FACTS. And if you wanna believe that today's NFL, or the past 5 or so years of this NFL is anywhere NEAR the toughness that it was in the 60's to the 90's then you're one lost little puppy dog.

[Mr.wizard]

You can think whatever...my list is not based on my love for any of those guys or my feelings for AB. It is based on pure FACTS. And if you wanna believe that today's NFL, or the past 5 or so years of this NFL is anywhere NEAR the toughness that it was in the 60's to the 90's then you're one lost little puppy dog.

You are delusional, the speed and physicality that the game is played at today is unprecedented and it's not even close.

Also, what facts are you using, when I asked you what you were using to measure a receivers greatness all you said was that you thought the era they played in was more physical.

It's simple, you put AB in the place of any of those receivers in their era's and he's still the top receiver in football. You can't honestly tell me if you put any of those guys in this era that they would be the best receiver in football.