Browns receiver making comeback
he came out in the first game and he did real good. It’s different for different people. I had a slow start after the first couple games, but if he keeps working through it he’s going to be fine.”
Since his return to the game, Gordon has 14 catches for 220 yards and one touchdown in four games — an 18-yarder in his second game back against the Green Bay Packers. Those are modest steps for a player who led the league in receiving yards (1,646), yards per game (117.6), yards per catch (18.9) and 40+ yard receptions (9) in 2013.
Bryant has played in 14 games and has 44 catches for 538 yards and three touchdowns — curiously, just six receptions shy of his 2015 total. He has been more of a factor with Antonio Brown (calf) out, catching seven passes for 119 yards in the past two games, including receptions of 39 and 36 yards and a one-hand touchdown catch.
“I just feel like it’s just starting to click for me now,” Bryant said. “I get it. I get what it takes to get everything back to how it used to be. It’s just hard work, man.”
Gordon and Bryant will be two of the featured players Sunday when the Steelers (123) and winless Browns (0-15) conclude the regular season at Heinz Field. It will be a good test for the Steelers secondary, which has given up more 40-yard passes (11) than all but three other teams.
“Man, he’s one of the best in the league,” said Steelers cornerback Joe Haden, who was Gordon’s teammate in Cleveland for five seasons. “He’s big, strong, fast. I feel like he’s a bigger version of Martavis. ... As long as he’s out there, he puts up numbers.”
The Browns and Steelers wasted little time getting their reinstated players involved in their returns to the league.
Gordon caught a 9-yard pass on the very first play of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 3 — his first catch in 1,077 days. Bryant caught a 2-yard pass on the third play of the season opener in Cleveland, a play that was nullified by penalty. He was targeted again on the very next play.
Gordon was targeted 11 times against the Chargers and finished with four catches for 85 yards that day, including a 39-yarder. Bryant was targeted six times and had two catches for 14 yards against the Browns.
In Week 2, though, Bryant had something of a breakout game, catching a 51-yard pass and a 27-yard touchdown from Ben Roethlisberger among his three catches. But he never had a catch longer than 24 yards in the next 10 games, a drought that ended when he layed out for a 39-yard completion against the Patriots.
Bryant said his return to the game was tough.
“I feel like it’s everything – the speed, awareness, just the game in general,” Bryant said. “It’s lot more faster than you realize what it used to be. But as you get used to it, the game slows down for you a whole lot. That’s what it was.”
Offensive coordinator Todd Haley was asked if expectations were too high for Bryant when he returned.
“I know personally I tried not to think like that,” Haley said. “Coach [Tomlin] always does a good job of getting us together and talking about things like that. I just looked at it as a new year and a new opportunity.”