Steelers receiver Antonio Brown says his third year with the team was a lot different than his first two.
Brown said on SportsCenter today that Pittsburgh’s locker room was fractured in the 2012 season, in a way he hadn’t seen previously since being drafted by the Steelers in 2010.
“It was definitely different — guys weren’t really together,” Brown said.
Brown said Steelers safety Troy Polamalu was among the veterans who spoke out and tried to explain to the team that selfish behavior wouldn’t be tolerated. But that talk was apparently not enough.
“That’s when you know you’ve got issues and you’ve got to come together as a team. Because the reality of a team game is everyone on the same page, committed to the same thing, dedicated for one goal, and that’s winning,” Brown said.
Although he didn’t name any names, Brown said he thought he had teammates last year who cared more about their individual goals than about the team’s record. And he described going 8-8 as “a bitter taste” that he hopes will motivate all of his teammates to act differently in 2013.
“Everyone in our locker room in 2013 has to understand the value of being in there and what our tradition and history stand for,” Brown said.
Brown said he agrees with Steelers defensive coordinator that the Steelers could have done what the Ravens did and gone on a run to the Super Bowl.
“He’s right on — we definitely had the talent, the pieces in the right place to do some things,” Brown said. “But winning is not talent. It’s all about being on the same page, and each guy having the guy next to him’s back, and being committed to winning. You see a Ravens team that was committed to winning and togetherness, and that’s what it’s all about.”
For Pittsburgh fans, hearing a Steeler say the team needs to be more like the Ravens is, indeed, a bitter pill to swallow.