If the pre-season dramatics from star RB Le’Veon Bell weren’t enough, the Steelers have lost their home opener to the Kansas City Chiefs and truthfully played a really sloppy game. Their record after tying to the Browns, 0-1-1 has really got the team and Steeler Nation wondering, what has to change?
A nightmare start to yesterday’s game against the Chiefs really started to set in with WR Antonio Brown after an ‘in his face’ talk with OC Randy Fichtner. Brown is notorious for analysts and fans portraying these acts as ‘tantrums’, but where is the line between passion and a tantrum?
Brown appeared in the video below in Fichtner’s face after JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jesse James were the top targets for Roethlisberger. Smith-Schuster caught 13 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. James caught five for 138 yards also with a touchdown. So respectively, James and Smith-Schuster had a good game for Pittsburgh.
Brown, on the other hand, was a different story. Targeted 17 times, he only caught 9 of those attempts accruing 67 yards. Where the fans start to see the concern is when Brown undoubtedly took his time getting back to the line in the fourth quarter. He also walked off of the field by himself after Roethlisberger’s run-in touchdown that closed the score gap by 5.
But I wouldn't get his in-game anger confused with 'temper tantrums' or 'dramatics'. Antonio Brown is arguably one of the, if not the, hardest working wide receiver in the game and during the offseason, it doesn't stop. He's chasing another Super Bowl and he wants his team along for the ride, this is what passion looks like.
“I know defenses are doing a good job of trying to take him away, doubling and putting extra people around him. So, other guys are stepping up,” Roethlisberger said. “Jesse James, JuJu obviously are doing some great things. I thought Switz did a good job tonight. I thought James Washington was making plays. So the other guys stepped up and did some good things.”
Brown wasn’t happy with WR coach Darryl Drake throughout the game either. To say the insanely unique chemistry between Big Ben and AB would be crazy, but they didn’t seem to see eye to eye yesterday. On the failed third and goal pass to Smith-Schuster, Roethlisberger waved off a comment Brown seemed to make to him.
Looks like AB wasn't happy with WR coach Darryl Drake either. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/uP5lZhUaND
— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) September 17, 2018
As if the game-time drama wasn’t enough, Brown responded to former Pittsburgh Steelers PR assistant Ryan Scarpino’s tweet this morning. Scarpino scolded Brown and said he should be happy he is with an organization like the Steelers and Roethlisberger is the reason for the numbers he has.
While the Steelers are undoubtedly filled with extreme talent, the drama and distractions will be the reason for their demise this season. And although it’s too early to tell, this isn’t a great start for the team and the locker room chemistry.
