Steelers' Antonio Brown Compares Bengals' Failures To One Of Their Own Volatile Players

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had very interesting rivalries for a while. Of course, there is the respect/hate rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens where they try to use each other's tactics to beat the other team, even dating back to when the Ravens first became a franchise. Meanwhile, their "rivalry" with the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals has been more of a one-sided domination where it's a surprise when one of the Ohio teams steps up to finally take down their bully, and it seems like the players feel the same. 

While making an appearance on This Past Weekend with Theo Von, former Steelers wideout, Antonio Brown was asked to describe each of the Steelers' division opponents one at a time. He complimented the Ravens, roasted the Browns, but he brought a new way of looking at the Bengals' recent problems.

"The Bengals, I think of [Adam] 'Pac-Man' Jones: raw player, great player, but some way, they're going to f**k it up," said Brown. "Just a knucklehead. There's some way that Cincinnati always f**k it up."

The Bengals have missed the playoffs now for two straight seasons. In 2023, they mishandled quarterback Joe Burrow's injury in more ways than one, which caused them to be the only team from the AFC North to miss the playoffs, and they were out by just one game. In 2024, the issues went far beyond the typical injury excuse.

The Bengals' offense had a legendary year overall. Burrow ended up winning Comeback Player of the Year. His top receiver, Ja'Marr Chase, won the Triple Crown, as he led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He averaged just over 100 yards per game, but it somehow was not enough. 

While the Bengals' offense was historically great, their defense was the exact opposite. They lost four games where the offense put up at least 30 points. They failed to beat a team with a record above .500 until Week 17. Once again, they missed out on the playoffs by a single game. That kind of season with an elite offense like Cincinnati's is almost unheard of. 

Brown compared those failures to one of their former stars: Adam "Pac-Man" Jones. He was a top 10 pick for a reason, but some of his off-field antics cost him two of his first five years in the NFL. Eventually, he found a home in Cincinnati, but he was still suspended here and there, and he occasionally made some boneheaded decisions.

Steelers Know All About Bengals' Ability To Ruin Perfect Opportunities

During this era, the Bengals were known for playoff futility more than anything. They were good enough to make the postseason and even win the division at times, but it was never enough. In the 2015 playoffs, the Bengals had the perfect chance to not only win a playoff game, but embarrass the Steelers in the process. 

With less than two minutes to go, running back Jeremy Hill fumbled the ball to give the Steelers one last piece of hope. They drove inside Bengals' territory, but ran out of timeouts. That's when linebacker Vontaze Burfict decided that that was his chance to strike a defenseless Brown, and the penalty for that put Pittsburgh in field goal range.

To add insult to injury, Jones made contact with an official to tack on another 15-yard penalty, which made it a much easier try for the Steelers. They make the kick and won the game to extend the Bengals' postseason win drought. 

While the locker room in Cincinnati is much less volatile than it was in the mid-2010s, the team still has the same problem. They keep finding ways to get in their own way. The one year that they didn't do that was 2021, and they won the AFC. However, that seems to be a fluke, as nothing seems to go the Bengals' way anymore. Brown is right. They always find a way to ruin everything.

What do you think about Brown comparing the Bengals to Jones? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

#SteelerNation