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Pittsburgh Steelers: Team To Be Without Antonio Brown and DeAngelo Williams?

By Dan Thomas

Jan 9, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) is looked at by medical staff on the field during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) is looked at by medical staff on the field during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /
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It might not be 2:00 A.M. on a Saturday night but Steelers fans across the nation are trying their best to not to throw up. In all honesty, who can blame them?

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that RB DeAngelo Williams is in an “uphill battle” to be ready for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

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Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 9.00.24 PM /

That is a blow to this offense but it’s not necessarily the worse thing in the world. Last week, the Steelers got 123 rushing yards between RBs Jordan Todman and Fitzgerald Toussaint. However, after missing last weeks game, it was assumed that Williams would be ready for the next game if the Steelers advanced in the playoffs. Not having him would be a letdown to this offense. Having Williams back this week would have given them a boost, flexibility and more confidence.

Not willing to be upstaged, Bob Holtzman of ESPN decided to get in on the action and reported hours later that his sources informed him that it’s “not looking good” for Antonio Brown to play on Sunday as well.

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Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 9.24.50 PM /

That’s trouble. That’s big trouble. For most teams, being without their #1 WR is a big lost. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, it could be a knockout blow. Brown has been the best and most dynamic WR in the NFL over the past three seasons. It’ll make the Denver Broncos #1 ranked defense’s job A LOT easier if Brown is unable to suit up.

Let’s not forget that although Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is “very likely” to play on Sunday, it’s also “very likely” that he is not 100%. When he came back into the game against the Bengals, all he did for the most part was settle for dump off passes and short slant routes. If his ability to throw the deep ball is hindered, this offense loses a dynamic that made them so successful this season.

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There should be some small feeling of hope for Steelers fans at this point. Right now, it’s only Monday. The Steelers played on Saturday last week and do not play until Sunday this week. That means Williams and Brown get an extra day to rest, recover and pass whatever tests they need to pass in order to play against the Broncos.

Yet, fans have to understand at this point, it’s looking like the Steelers will be playing against the #1 defense in the NFL without Williams, Brown and a with an injured Ben Roethlisberger. If that happens, the outlook is not good. Forget glass half-empty. This glass might as well be spiked into the ground Gronkowski style.

Think about this: Brown and Williams combined for 3,136 offensive yards and 22 total touchdowns during the regular season. That is an average of 196 offensive yards and 1.38 touches per game. Making up for that  kind of loss would be impossible.

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