The Steelers may have escaped a devastating blow to their offense when Martavis Bryant was twisted down in the backfield on a screen pass from Landry Jones in the second quarter of their 19-15 loss to the Colts. Bryants leg appeared to get stuck in the Heinz Field grass as he was twisted backwards.
After Bryant appeared to be down Colts safety Matthias Farley came across the field and delivered a blow to the upper body of Bryant. Bryant was able to get up and head off the field quickly but you could tell the combination had shaken him slightly. After the game he called the hit 'intentional'.
"I was already on the ground. It is what it is," Bryant said. "My foot was already bent. ... [Farley] just came in and hit me."
While he was training to be reinstated Bryant worked out consistently for the first time. He buckled down, made the hard decisions and wasn't going to live on talent alone anymore. During the process he has gained over 20 pounds of muscle mass. He made it a point to tell ESPN's Jeremy Fowler about how much more comfortable he is about handling the punishment that NFL players take.
"I feel better about my body and my ability on the field. I don't have to worry about taking so many injuries from different plays like yesterday where he tried to hurt me," Bryant told ESPN. "Just making sure my body feels good and I stay in shape."
Defensive backs should fear a determined Bryant.
