The Pittsburgh Steelers were driving midway through the second quarter on Monday when they faced a problem, a realistic test for an offense that could have had some questions now that Antonio Brown is injured. Third-and-long would have been an obvious spot for the Steelers to go to Brown.
[img]http://www.nfllionsofficialonline.com/images/products/nike_nfl_jers... Roethlisberger dropped back and found Martavis Bryant over the middle short of where he needed to be for the first down. Bryant caught the ball, turned his lanky body upfield and used his combination of speed and length to http:... get the rest of the yards Pittsburgh needed. It extended the drive.
[img]http://www.chicagobears.us.com/img//nike_nfl_jerseys/nike_chicago_b... of settling for a field goal attempt, it led to another Steelers touchdown during a 34-6 blowout of the Houston Texans on Monday, clinching a first-round playoff bye for Pittsburgh.
Monday's performance is why Pittsburgh could never part with Bryant earlier [url=http://www.officialcoltsfootballshop.com/Nike-Ty-Hilton-Jersey.html]T.Y. Hilton Youth jersey this season. Sure, Bryant appeared disgruntled when he wasn't getting the ball and rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster was cutting into the work load he expected. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin made it clear the Steelers would not be trading its then-disgruntled, but exceedingly talented wide receiver. At the time, Tomlin said Philip Rivers Jersey the franchise had "invested a lot" in Bryant. They had.
And now, as the playoffs approach, Bryant and the Steelers seem a long way from his healthy scratch in Week 8 against Detroit. His totals have been consistent since then, typically [url=http://www.officialrockiestore.com/Gerardo_Parra_Jersey]http://www.official... between two-and-four catches and 33-to-45 yards.
Brown's calf injury changed that and made the investment Tomlin mentioned earlier this season all the more important now. Last week, Bryant had 59 receiving yards -- his most at the time since Week 2. On Monday against Houston, he topped that. The potential role Bryant had always seemed to crave is now there for him. Bryant was targeted four times by Roethlisberger. He caught three of those passes for 60 yards.
Instead of competing with Smith-Schuster for attention and snaps from Roethlisberger, they are on the field at the same time. While [url=http://www.officialbengalsfootballstore.com/YOUTH+JAKE+FISHER+JERSEY]Jake Fisher Youth jersey Bryant is not Brown -- no receiver in the league other than Julio Jones and maybe DeAndre Hopkins can come close to Brown's complete skill set -- the combination of the two young receivers are part of the reason the Steelers remain Super Bowl contenders no matter how long Brown is sidelined. Smith-Schuster continued his strong rookie year with six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.
"You can never replace AB," Roethlisberger said on NBC after ... the game. "And I think the coolest thing about it is guys weren't trying to. They were just out there trying to be the best they could be."
But it is Bryant's role that is going to be more critical now for the Steelers and Roethlisberger, who threw multiple touchdown passes for the seventh straight game, the longest active streak in the [url=http://www.losangelesramshop.com/WOMENS-JOHN-SULLIVAN-JERSEY.html]http://ww... NFL. [url=http://www.chinawholesalejerseyfootball.com]Cheap Jerseys Usa Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys NFL Cheap NFL Jerseys MLB Jerseys Usa Cheap NBA Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Usa Nike NFL Jerseys From China