As their best and most expensive offensive weapon, there’s a higher standard for Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.
So he said he understands why coach Mike Tomlin benched him late in Sunday’s loss to the Patriots after a Ben Roethlisberger interception which was intended for him, and why it can’t happen again.
“Coach got me and Ben together [on the sideline] and talked about the execution of the play and what transpired,” Brown said, via By Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “From there, coach thought it was best I don’t go back in the game for the last series, so he came to me and told me we’re going to keep you out this series but just stay with me.
“I can’t afford to be in miscommunication with Ben. I can’t afford to not have my depth and not be where I need to be. Being on this football team and being the No. 1 guy, I got to take responsibility to give the team my best, and Coach thought I wasn’t giving my best. Coach made the right decision.”
Brown leads the league with 61 catches, so it’s not as if he’s been malingering this season. And after Tomlin called him out for “quality execution from an assignment standpoint,” it seems obvious the Steelers coach is trying to push every button he can to try to salvage something from a season gone awry.