Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 reasons Antonio Brown must have big Week 13

Antonio Brown had some issues beating Seattle Seahawks elite cornerback Richard Sherman‘s tight coverage in Week 12, as the Pittsburgh Steelers No. 1 receiver finished with just six receptions for 51 yards on 12 targets; here’s why his team needs him to put up bigger numbers this week.

Nov 15, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) reacts after a touchdown catch against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

When the Pittsburgh Steelers faced off against the Indianapolis Colts last season, they put up 51 points behind a career day from Ben Roethlisberger, who had 522 passing yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. After blowing up for over 400 passing yards last week against the “Legion of Boom”, Roethlisberger is gearing up for an encore performance against a Colts defense that is 24 in the league in net yards per pass attempt.

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However, the Colts pass defense has improved this season, and they are 17th in the league in scoring defense as a whole, largely thanks to the fact that they’ve forced 14 interceptions on the season. Standout safety Mike Adams is one of the league leaders in interceptions (5), fellow safety Dwight Lowery has four, and superstar cornerback Vontae Davis has a team-high 12 passes defended with a pair of picks himself.

Antonio Brown caught ten of 13 targets for 133 yards and two touchdowns in an incredibly efficient performance against Indy last year, and the Steelers need him to have a follow-up performance. There are few players in the league who are more dependable than Brown, but there are more specific reasons why he needs to shine, preferably for what would be his seventh 100-yard game of the season.

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