Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and importance of big plays vs. Bengals
The Pittsburgh Steelers battle against the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday is the first of two games between these teams in the final four contests of the regular season, and the playoff implications for both sides are rather easy to see. Le’Veon Bell has a favorable matchup against the Bengals, but the Steelers passing attack will find the Bengals pass defense to be a tough nut to crack. Leon Hall has found his form in recent weeks, and he and George Iloka anchor a secondary that plays well together and generally does well against all types of receivers.
That said, they will be facing a different beast this week in Antonio Brown, who has been the best receiver in the NFL this season with league-highs at the position in receptions (96), yards (1,258), and touchdowns (11). He’s averaging eight catches for roughly 105 yards in every game, so it’s an accomplishment to hold him to under 100. Hall is an excellent cover corner, but stopping Brown is a team effort, especially when it comes to stifling the big plays he’s capable of making.
Coming into the season, we knew the Steelers offense would be capable of generating big passing plays behind the arm of Ben Roethlisberger, because he has three fully legit deep threats in Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and Markus Wheaton. Bryant took a bit of time to emerge but has cooled off since peaking in the middle of the season, while Wheaton has been too inconsistent here in his second season. Both players have flashed and have generated some big plays, but the big worry for the Bengals is obviously Brown.
There’s much more to his game than big plays, and that’s the case for every elite wide receiver in the NFL today. Brown might even be the second-best wideout in the game behind Calvin Johnson, and that’s a testament to his dominance this season. He’s hauling in 71.1% of the passes thrown at him, and he’s also tied for fifth in the NFL with 11 receptions of at least 25 yards. Brown certainly knows how to make a splash, and he has more than enough speed to burn a disciplined Bengals pass defense.
The question is, who will help him? If Brown proves to be the only threat for the Bengals, then the Steelers could have some problems. Brown’s lowest number of receiving yards in a game this season is 74, and that’s asinine (in a good way, of course), considering that an average of 74 receiving yards per game would yield 1,184 receiving yards in a season. The problem is that the Steelers can’t just rely on him to carry the day, because they have still lost in games in which he’s gone off, including losses to the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season.
Ben Roethlisberger has 31 completions that have gone for at least 25 yards, and that’s the second-highest total in the NFL this season, so he knows how to hit up his other guys for big days. Bell has an excellent matchup against the Bengals linebackers, and he’s also generated some splash plays in the passing game this season; he’s the guy in the best position to have a big day. But against the Bengals, it’s all about whether or not the other wideouts can generate big plays, because we know Brown will be able to make things happen no matter what. Again, nobody has held him to less than 74 receiving yards in a game, and his 74-yard day was a fluky performance against the New York Jets, because he would have had more yards had Roethlisberger played better against the Jets aggressive blitzing. Remember, Brown still had eight catches in that game.
The Bengals are allowing just 5.9 net yards per attempt this season, and that’s a total that should scare the Steelers. They were able to put up 32 on the New Orleans Saints last week, but getting to 30 would be incredibly difficult against a defense that is intercepting more passes (12) than allowing touchdowns (11). They are allowing the fifth-most first downs of any defense, but they are also allowing just 10.3 yards per completion, which is one of the top ten totals in the NFL. This is a bend-but-don’t-break pass defense, and it’s done a great job of minimizing the impact of top receivers. These guys shut down Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson, DeAndre Hopkins, Andre Johnson, the New Orleans Saints weapons, and Torrey Smith and Steve Smith. Hopkins and Evans were both on hot streaks, while Torrey Smith was held without a catch. You don’t mess with these guys.
That’s why it’s imperative for the Steelers to get contributions across the board, because they need an accessory piece to help Roethlisberger, Brown, and Bell out, particularly in the playmaking department. Both of these teams are evenly matched, and games between even-strength opponents often end up being decided by big plays.