Brown has big game in Steelers win

PITTSBURGH, PA – Could the Steelers have a new star in the making?

Second year wide receiver Antonio Brown put on a show in the first half as the Steelers beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-16 at Heinz Field.

Brown caught two long touchdown passes and had 137 yards receiving in the first half.

“It’s a blessing,” said Brown on his two touchdown catches. “I’ll just continue to get better and improve day in and day out. You can see the results just pan out.”

Brown started the game by returning the opening kickoff 51 yards which eventually led to a one yard touchdown run by Rashard Mendenhall.

Later in the second quarter with the game tied at 10, Brown caught a pass over the middle, split the defensive backs and ran 77 yards for a touchdown.

“Ben did a great job of putting it on me,” said Brown. “The safety and the corner kind of misfit going after the ball and then I was able to run away from them.”

Then in the Steelers next possession, Brown caught a 44 yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger as the Steelers led 24-16 at halftime.

“He’s a really good football player,” said Roethlisberger of Brown. “He’s got good instincts.”

After the starters played the entire first half, the second half was more for guys to try to impress the coaches in efforts to win a roster spot for the regular season.

CB Crezdon Butler made a statement with a 95 yard interception return for a touchdown to stop an Atlanta scoring drive and put the Steelers up 31-16 in the fourth quarter.

“The defensive line got great pressure on the quarterback and I think he released it earlier than he thought he should have and I beat the receiver to the point and the ball was there, “ said Butler.

Despite a good showing, the Steelers were hit with some crucial injuries.

In the first quarter, C Maurkice Pouncey left the game with a left ankle injury, the same ankle that he injured last season in the AFC Championship game against the New York Jets that kept him out of the Super Bowl.

QB Byron Leftwich left the game in the third quarter with a broken left arm. He was taken after the game on a stretcher to the hospital for further evaluation.

Casey Hampton also suffered a right arm injury.

Notes: The Steelers improved to 7-0 all time in the preseason against the Falcons… LG Chris Kemoeatu played for the first time this preseason coming off a knee injury… Falcons QB Matt Ryan threw the ball 42 times in the first half… Rookie Marcus Gilbert started at left tackle and saw substantial playing time with Jonathan Scott sitting out with a knee injury from last week’s Eagles game

Image Source – (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Questions, Comments, Suggestions? Contact Shawn at shawn@ovathletics.com