Others adjust after injury
Receivers pick up big missing piece after A.B. departs
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Steelers lost the best receiver in the NFL early on against the New England Patriots, but if the final twoand-a-half quarters were any indication, the Steelers still can have success in the passing game without Antonio Brown.
Early indications are Brown is likely done for the final two games of the regular season with a calf injury, but there is hope he can return for the playoffs. Now, the Steelers have to find ways to win without Brown next Monday in Houston and New Year’s Eve against Cleveland in the regular-season finale.
Coach Mike Tomlin said the game plan changed after Brown exited the game.
“A.B. is significant, but I thought the guys did a nice job of adjusting and making plays,” Tomlin said. “When you lose someone like A.B., there is an adjustment.”
The Steelers handled that adjustment well for the most part. Undoubtedly, they missed him late in the game when they were unable to secure a first down and run out the clock. That allowed the Patriots to take a 27-24 lead with 56 seconds remaining.
But on the final series, rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster had a 69-yard catch-and-run that set up the Steelers at the Patriots 10. Smith-Schuster was one of eight players Sunday to catch passes from Ben Roethlisberger.
Smith-Schuster led the way with six catches for 114 yards. Le’Veon Bell added five catches and Martavis Bryant, four. Jesse James, Eli Rogers, Xavier Grimble and Darrius Heyward-Bey also had catches.
“We came together as a group and played hard for our brother,” Bryant said. “He’s the best in the NFL. We just wanted to go out and play hard for him.”
Roethlisberger was buoyed by the way his other receivers stepped in to fill the void.
“I thought it was awesome,” he said. “I thought guys did some good things. That’s what we expect from guys. How awesome at the end with JuJu? Guys stepped up and did some really good things. I’m really proud of them.”
The Steelers need that to continue until Brown returns to the lineup. The Steelers can feature Bell more in the passing game. They can do the same with Smith-Schuster and Bryant.
And it might be important, too. The Steelers now have just a one-game lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars for the second seed in the AFC. The third-seeded team has to play on wildcard weekend.
The Steelers don’t want that given how depleted they are.
“With a guy of that caliber, the best receiver in the world, when he goes out you have to step up as a receiving corps,” Rogers said.
Bryant has been waiting for opportunities to be more involved in the offense all season. He’ll have plenty of opportunities in the final two games of the regular season and perhaps beyond to prove his worth.
“I was just playing hard, reacting and enjoying the game of football,” Bryant said. “It was my first game against them. We’ll see them again in a couple of weeks. We’re going to see them again. They played a great game. They did a great job of finishing. We didn’t finish. We’ll see them in the playoffs. That’s all I got to say.”