Le'Veon Bell and the Steelers put rest of AFC on notice

Jeremy FowlerESPN Staff Writerhttp://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/January 8, 2017

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell (26) runs through a tackle by Miami Dolphins free safety Bacarri Rambo during the first half of an AFC wild-card game in Pittsburgh, Sunday.(AP)

PITTSBURGH -- This was more than an AFC wild-card game Sunday at Heinz Field. This was a bitter-cold beatdown and a reintroduction of the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots or whomever else.

The most dangerous team in the AFC resides in Pittsburgh, where the Miami Dolphins came for a game and got a street fight as the Steelers won 30-12.

The only thing holding Pittsburgh back right now is the lack of home-field advantage. Otherwise, the Steelers' arsenal proved to be expansive Sunday.

"We weren't perfect, but we haven't been perfect all year," coach Mike Tomlin said. "It was enough for the victory."

RB Le'Veon Bell and WR Antonio Brown going wild for 298 combined yards doesn't tell the full story. LB James Harrison looked well-rested and explosive with 1.5 sacks, marking the third straight postseason game with at least one sack for the 38-year-old. Couple Harrison's play with LB Bud Dupree's speedy rush and activity and the Steelers have something working off the edge on defense, which shut down Miami in almost every way.

Every mistake Pittsburgh made in a Week 6 loss to Miami was corrected, from physical tackling to handling the Dolphins' blitzing. QB Ben Roethlisberger completed his first four passes for 121 yards when Miami brought extra defenders. Roethlisberger completed his first 11 passes overall, but the fact that he attempted 17 throws through the first 54 minutes showcased just how dominant Bell was with a franchise postseason-record 167 rushing yards.

"They got after us the first time we played them. We wanted to go out there and make a statement," Bell said.

The Dolphins turned the ball over on three straight drives, which is something the Chiefs won't do Sunday in Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs are too disciplined for that, and they are much better than when they were blown out by Pittsburgh in Week 4.

But beating the Chiefs appears far less daunting than going to Gillette Stadium to play the Patriots, who are in line to host the AFC title game. Yet you could argue that no team is more of a threat to New England than Pittsburgh.

In the past, the Steelers have struggled to win meaningful games in New England.

In the past, the Steelers didn't have Roethlisberger, Bell and Brown in the same playoff lineup.

Roethlisberger has been erratic with interceptions of late, including two more against Miami, but he's the classic cold-weather quarterback, winning 22 of his past 29 games in temperatures below 32 degrees.

Kansas City will likely be just that kind of atmosphere, and not many quarterbacks in the NFL have Roethlisberger's get-hot factor. Roethlisberger was in a walking boot after the game but he said he'll play against the Chiefs.

"We had the big three rolling on offense," Tomlin said.

Big Ben might not need his best if Bell carries the Steelers all the way to February. Bell has been nothing short of brilliant this season, with an average of 158.3 total yards per game in the regular season and postseason. Bell stutter-stepped his way to big gains against Miami's defensive front with patient, quick-cutting runs.

The Steelers haven't lost a game since they decided to sell out with extra tackles and tight ends and dared teams to beat their running game. The plan has worked in eight straight games.

Not many people would be surprised if that number continues to rise.

Different outside linebackers, different result for Steelers against Dolphins

By Chris Bradford

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

January 8, 2017

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison (92) sacks Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore (8), forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Steelers, during the first half of an AFC wild-card NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Don Wright)

PITTSBURGH -- With his two young sons on his lap, James Harrison sat patiently in front of his locker early Sunday night as a producer from one of the national TV networks scrambled to set up a live interview inside the Steelers locker room.

Unable to establish a connection back to her studio host, the rattled producer finally conceded defeat and began apologizing profusely. Smiling, which Harrison rarely does, at least not in front of the media, the veteran linebacker said, “That’s all right.”

That moment was one of the few things that didn’t go Harrison’s or the Steelers’ way at Heinz Field on Sunday. Neither sub-freezing temperatures nor the Miami Dolphins were about to stop Harrison from taking another big step toward his fourth Super Bowl.

“James, man, he’s an alien,” said linebacker Ryan Shazier. “He’s like 40 playing professional football. Only thing you can be 40 is playing professional basketball and they don’t hit each other that much.”

And Harrison -- “only” 38, to be clear -- still likes to hit. In fact, he still does it better than most players nearly half his age. Just ask Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore and his teammates. During Sunday’s convincing 30-12 win over Miami, which propelled the Steelers into the divisional round against Kansas City next week, Harrison contributed 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two hurries and one critical forced fumble.

“He shows everyone the Steeler Way and that’s what you saw out there today,” said linebacker Lawrence Timmons.

As expected, the Big Three, the Killer B’s or whatever you want to call the triumvirate of Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown -- united for the first time in a playoff game -- announced their presence with authority on offense.

Just as importantly, so too did the Steelers’ defense.

That would be the same defense that was embarrassed in Week 6 when Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi rushed for 204 yards. Except, of course, it’s not really the same defense. The Steelers have since added a trio of rookies -- Artie Burns, Sean Davis and Javon Hargrave -- into the starting lineup. And the outside linebacker rotation isn’t really a rotation anymore with only Harrison and Bud Dupree seeing the field.

In mid-October, Harrison had been splitting time with Jarvis Jones while Dupree was still on the mend following September groin surgery. But since relieving Jones of starting duties after the Dallas debacle in Week 10, Harrison has four sacks and the Steelers haven’t lost in eight weeks.

The return of Dupree four weeks ago has added even more tenacity and speed to a defense which has it in droves.

The Harrison-Dupree tandem isn’t quite Greene-Lloyd of the mid-‘90s or even Harrison-Woodley of the mid-aughts, but the potential is there. By taking an extended look at Jones, before the 2013 first-rounder’s contract expires, Arthur Moats and Anthony Chickillo, the Steelers now have a rested and productive Harrison and Dupree.

As much as on the field, Shazier says, Harrison inspires off the field, in the weight room and in the class room.

“I see him in there working all the time,” Shazier said. “He shows everybody his stuff on Instagram, but there’s so much more that he does that people don’t even know about.

“He is probably, him and Le’Veon and AB, are some of the hardest working people I know. He’s definitely shown it. That’s why he’s consistently playing at a high level, even at the age he is.”

In Pittsburgh, high-level and physical linebacker play isn’t just celebrated, it’s revered. Want to talk physical? Look at the final 7:16 of the first half Sunday.

You can argue the legality of Dupree’s vicious hit on Moore. The play was flagged for roughing the passer (though Mike Tomlin wasn’t happy with the call). You can even argue the validity of the NFL’s concussion protocol, which quickly cleared Moore to return after the hit. But you can’t understate the seismic impact that Dupree’s hit had on Sunday’s game.

“I thought it was clean, me personally,” said Dupree. “I was in coverage and saw (Moore) break contain. I just ran up and tried to get a sack. I wasn’t trying to injure him. Just trying to get the sack. Just trying to make a big play.”

After the Dolphins got the ball back via a Roethlisberger interception and worked their way deep into Pittsburgh territory, Harrison made the biggest, if not most timely, play of the game. With Miami threatening to make it a one-score game, on first-and-goal from the 8, Harrison faked dropping back in coverage and then stormed, unimpeded on Moore, drilling the QB in the back and forcing the ball loose where Stephon Tuitt recovered. Though there was still another half to play, the game was effectively over.

“It feeds us,” Dupree said of Harrison’s splash plays. “Makes everyone want to go out there and make more plays.”

Ajayi, who had the third-best rushing day against the Steelers in Week 6, had just 33 yards on 16 carries (2.1 per). The Dolphins, in their garish, tropical aqua uniforms, looked fresh out of water in frozen Pittsburgh against this version of the Steelers defense.

With Bell, Brown and Roethlisberger, the Steelers are clearly good enough on the offensive side of the ball to win a Super Bowl. On Sunday, Pittsburgh’s defense made a pretty compelling case for itself. But, as Harrison knows, tougher challenges still await.

“This defense is good enough to win this week, we’ll see if we’re good enough to win next week,” Harrison said.

Fleury gets 5th straight win, Penguins beat Lightning 6-2

The Associated Press

http://www.espn.com/nhl/

January 8, 2017

Pittsburgh Penguins' Conor Sheary (43) puts the puck into the net behind Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) to score during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017, in Pittsburgh. (Keith Srakocic, AP)

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins were rested after a week off since their last game, while the Tampa Bay Lightning were playing for the third time in four days.

It showed.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 28 shots in his fifth straight win, leading the Penguins to a 6-2 victory over the Lightning on Sunday.

Fleury, who has not lost in regulation since allowing six goals to the Minnesota on Nov. 25, is 7-0-1 in his last eight decisions.

Connor Sheary had a goal and an assist, and Eric Fehr, Chris Kunitz, Scott Wilson, Phil Kessel and Kris Letang also scored for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby and Matt Cullen each two assists to help Pittsburgh win its fifth straight.

Pittsburgh, which hadn't played since defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in overtime on Dec. 31, continues to surge at home, where it improved to 18-2-2. The Penguins haven't lost in regulation at home since a 5-2 defeat to the New York Rangers on Nov. 21.

"I think our team enjoys playing in front of our fans," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "I know they give us a boost, but it's not like we draw up a game plan for home and a game plan for away. We're trying to play the same game."

Jonathan Drouin and Vladislav Namestnikov scored for the Lightning, andAndrei Vasilevskiy made 31 saves in his third start in four days. Tampa Bay lost its fourth straight.

Tampa Bay has allowed 22 goals on its four-game losing streak. The Lightning surrendered six goals Sunday for the third time on the streak, but Drouin felt their effort improved over their 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.

"I thought we started well," Drouin said. "We're moving, skating, taking shots. They did the same thing. That's a good team. Definitely, the result sucks, but we played pretty well in the first."

Lighting coach Jon Cooper agreed, but also thought fatigue plagued Tampa Bay.

"Obviously, we're playing a really good team that had a long break. They have the bodies healthy," Cooper said. "And we're a tired group. When you're tired, you're bound to make a couple of mistakes. We did what we wanted to do. We got a lead and unfortunately, we broke down on the first (Penguins goal) and then the self-inflicted wounds started."

Drouin put the Lightning up 1-0 at 2:19 of the second period. Victor Hedman shot off Valterri Filppula in front of Fleury, and the puck slid to Drouin in the right circle and he one-timed a wrist shot past the outstretched goalie for his 12th of the season.

The Penguins then scored the next four goals to take control.

Sheary got Pittsburgh started with the tying score 4:25 later with his 10th. It came on a tap-in after a shot from Bryan Rust slid through Vasilevskiy's five-hole and Sheary pounced on the rebound before the goalie could recover.

Fehr put the Penguins ahead for good with 8:46 remaining in the opening period, one-timing a pass from Cullen past Vasilevskiy's blocker for his fifth.

Kunitz extended the lead to 3-1 at 2:33 of the third period with his 164th goal with Pittsburgh, tying him with Ron Francis for 10th on the Penguins' all-time list.

"I'm happy every time I score a goal," Kunitz said. "It's nice to contribute. You want to make sure you're in the right areas and finding the puck. It's come close to me in a couple of games. I want to get more pucks to the net and be around the net to find tips."

Wilson made it a three-goal lead just 55 seconds later.

Namestnikov pulled the Lightning to 4-2 with a power-play goal at 5:40.

However, Kessel restored the Penguins' three-goal lead at 7:50 and Letang closed the scoring with 2:40 left.

Game notes
Penguins G Matt Murray continues to recover from a lower-body injury sustained against Carolina on Dec. 28. He has started skating on his own, but has not rejoined the team for practice. ... Lightning F J.T. Brown did not play Sunday after being hit in the head by Philadelphia F Wayne Simmonds on Saturday. ... Pittsburgh F Evgeni Malkin remains one goal from tying Rick Kehoe for fifth place on the team's all-time goal scoring list with 312. ... Tampa Bay recalled F Michael Bournival and F Erik Condra from AHL Syracuse on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Lightning: Host Buffalo on Thursday night.

Penguins: At Washington on Wednesday night.

If not now, then when for Steelers?

By Chris Bradford
http://www.timesonline.com/sports/
January 8, 2017



Dec 18, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) leads wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) and Le'Veon Bell (26) in a huddle in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH – The final act in Stephon Tuitt’s first two NFL seasons has played out in much the same sad scene: Teary-eyed locker rooms as the massive defensive end and his Steelers teammates were left staring into space, wondering ‘what if?’

What if Le’Veon Bell had been healthy for the 2014 wild-card loss against the Baltimore Ravens?

What if Bell or Antonio Brown or DeAngelo Williams or Maurkice Pouncey were available for the 2015 divisional round loss against the Denver Broncos?

“We’ve been there and done that,” Tuitt said in a hushed tone this week. “We experienced that. It was not a pretty feeling at all. Not at all.”

Well, when the Steelers host the Miami Dolphins in their AFC Wild Card matchup on Sunday afternoon, there are no question marks, no more excuses. But there is a feeling of resolve from the disappointment of the past two seasons and a quiet confidence born from their current seven-game winning streak.

All things considered, the Steelers enter the postseason as healthy as they’re going to get or, at least, as healthy as any NFL team can hope to be in the second weekend of January. For the first time in a playoff game, the Steelers will have a healthy Ben Roethlisberger, Brown and -- most noteworthy -- a healthy Bell, the catalyst to their seven-game run, all available to them Sunday at Heinz Field.

That, in itself, is no small victory. Now comes the hard part: The actual winning of games.

No more talk of perfecting crafts, honing skills or wanting to be great. Want to be great? Win. Four victories in five weeks is what separates Pittsburgh from a record seventh Super Bowl championship.

On both sides of the ball, with perhaps the NFL’s most dynamic offense and a rebuilt defense with a bevy of budding stars, the Steelers appear poised for a lengthy playoff run. 

If not now, then when?

“Obviously, we have to take it one step at a time,” Bell said. “The Miami Dolphins are the first brick in the road. We have to handle those guys and handle the rest as it goes. But sense of urgency or focus? We don’t know if we’ll be in this situation ever again.”

Roethlisberger, who will turn 35 in March, isn’t getting younger.

Brown, the NFL’s most prolific receiver over the last four seasons, isn’t going to get better than he’s been.

James Harrison can only beat up Father Time for so much longer.

Thirtysomethings DeAngelo Williams and Lawrence Timmons are free agents at season’s end.

Whether his contract is extended or he’s franchise tagged, Bell is sure to be back in 2017, but his history of injury and/or suspension suggests it could be interrupted again.

At this level, winning a championship is a combination of hitting the Lotto, solving a Rubik’s Cube and having the stars aligned precisely. So far, the Steelers got the last part right.

“You always have to capitalize on it when you can, especially with Ben and how many years he has left,” said guard David DeCastro, who in five years with the Steelers has just one playoff win. “I think we’re in a pretty good spot.”

No, the window to win another Lombardi Trophy won’t be closed shut on the Steelers if they fail, but it won’t get much more wide open than this year.

It’s not every year that half the AFC playoff field is down to its backup quarterback, including the Dolphins. Or in No. 2 seed Oakland’s case, a No. 3 QB. It’s not every year that the New England Patriots, a prohibitive favorite, will be without Rob Gronkowski, arguably the most dominant force in the NFL.

“Everybody is picking the Patriots to be the team to win the whole thing, it just adds more to it,” said guard Ramon Foster, one of eight holdovers from Pittsburgh’s last Super Bowl team in 2010. “Why not us? We have the capability. Sure enough the Patriots are damn good, they’re damn good. There’s no easy teams in this playoff. We just have to be pros and capitalize. (It’s) more opportunity than anything.”

This season, the Steelers qualified for the playoffs for a third straight year, a first under coach Mike Tomlin. That is the franchise’s longest run of consecutive postseason appearances since the first five seasons under his predecessor, Bill Cowher, from 1992-97. That’s good, but not good enough in Pittsburgh if it doesn’t end with a parade down the Boulevard of the Allies.

“Any time you are part of the Steelers organization, you understand that it’s about being a champion,” Brown said. “It is a championship culture, a championship atmosphere and a championship team. All you have to do is walk in here on the second floor and you see those guys’ legacy on the wall, you see what it’s about.”

For Tomlin, Roethlisberger and Harrison, this playoff run, wherever it takes them, will only pad their legacies. For Brown and Bell, it’s a chance to define theirs.

“We have to embrace it,” Bell said. “We’re in the playoffs, we’re all healthy. We have four more games to win.”

Pittsburgh Steelers hoping to hem in Jay Ajayi in rematch with Miami Dolphins

The Associated Press

http://www.denverpost.com/sports

January 5, 2017

In this Oct. 16, 2016, file photo, Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi (23) avoids a tackle by Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ross Cockrell (31), during the second half of an NFL football game, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

PITTSBURGH — Jay Ajayi‘s resume wasn’t much to look at in early October. Thirteen career games. A grand total of 304 yards rushing and three touchdowns for a Miami Dolphins team that may have cornered the market on “meh.” The only truly conspicuous thing about Ajayi in mid-October may have been the dreadlocks that crashed against the top of his No. 23 jersey like the surf on nearby South Beach.

Three hours against the Pittsburgh Steelers changed everything. Over the course of four quarters Ajayi angrily churned through Pittsburgh’s defense relentlessly, shaking off some tacklers, running over others on sprinting by the rest on his way to 204 yards and two scores in a 30-15 whipping that doubled as a coming out party.

No big deal. Only the most rushing yards given up by the Steelers in 16 years. Pittsburgh walked into Hard Rock Stadium 4-1 and rolling. The Steelers trudged out wondering what — or who, to be more exact — hit them.

“It was a humbling experience for us,” nose tackle Javon Hargrave said. “We went out there and got our butts whipped.”

The AFC North champions have no interest in repeating the experience Sunday when Ajayi and the Dolphins (10-6) visit the Steelers (11-5) in the wild-card round. Ajayi has proven his breakout was no “lighting strike,” as Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin put it. Ajayi struck again and again over the final 11 weeks on his way to 1,265 yards that helped propel Miami back to the postseason for the first time in eight years.

“I was confident I would have a good day,” Ajayi said about the first meeting. “The confidence level hasn’t changed. It’s exciting. Playoff game, winner go home. Stakes are higher. Chance to show your abilities on a big stage.”

And an opportunity for Pittsburgh’s defense to show just how much it’s matured. Looking back, the vibe that muggy afternoon was just “weird.” Defensive end Cam Heyward missed the first game of his career with a hamstring injury. Linebacker Ryan Shazier stood on the sideline in a T-shirt resting an achy right knee watching the 11 guys on the field getting manhandled.

“It definitely hurt to see us get beat up like that,” said Shazier, who will play this time around. “The things that went and how the game occurred. I think everybody understands how much it hurts. Everybody in this locker room been there that day, is ready to play these guys again and really show them that’s not going to happen again.”

For the most part, it hasn’t even with Heyward eventually being lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle in a Week 10 loss to Dallas . That game ended with Ezekiel Elliott darting to the end zone twice in the final two minutes through the kind of massive holes hard to open in practice, let alone when it counts. The Steelers walked off the field 4-5 and in serious trouble.

Then, quite quickly, the kids grew up even with their captain on injured reserve. Forced to get creative, defensive coordinator Keith Butler started moving Stephon Tuitt up and down the line and relying more heavily on Hargrave and well-traveled Ricardo Mathews. James Harrison and Bud Dupree ended the five-man rotation at outside linebacker because they provided the kind of physicality in the run game their brethren could not. Throw in an offense that started hogging the ball like a 3-year-old protecting his favorite toy and all of a sudden, the sledding against the Steelers became far tougher.

Pittsburgh allowed just 64.6 yards rushing a game during five straight wins that vaulted them back into first in the AFC North. Though they wobbled a bit over the final two weeks, the difference between the defense Ajayi saw in October and the one he’ll see on the second Sunday in January is considerable. Something not lost on Ajayi.

“They’re confident they’re doing things right so it’s exciting,” Ajayi said. “All that stuff that happened in the regular season is out the window.”

Particularly with quarterback Ryan Tannehill out . Ajayi is no longer a secret and opponents have adjusted. He’s gone over 80 yards just once over the final eight weeks, a 206-yard explosion in a Week 15 win over Buffalo that sealed a playoff berth. Ajayi expects Pittsburgh to crowd the line of scrimmage and try to get their hands on him before he gets loose in the secondary, where hitting the 6-foot, 216-pounder is not for the squeamish.

“If you’re talking about corners as your first line of defense in terms of stopping the run, that’s a bad discussion,” Tomlin said. “There are some bigger people more suited for that action that play in front of them that better have a lot to say about it, as well.”

That’s fine by Ajayi.

“Whatever the defenses throw at us, if we execute – our o-line comes off the ball physical, downhill, I’m running hard and receivers are doing what they do on the perimeter — we’ll be fine,” he said.

AP Sports Writer Steven Wine in Miami contributed to this report.

Antonio awaits his Santonio moment

KEVIN GORMAN

http://triblive.com/sports/

January 6,  2017

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Kyle Arrington (24) after making a catch during the second half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016. (Fred Vuich/AP)

For Antonio Brown, the start of the AFC playoffs is not the time to talk about accolades or statistics.

“It's all about being a champion,” Brown said Friday, when he was named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press.

“People remember champions who played with the Steelers. They don't remember guys with a lot of yards and a lot of catches. They remember guys who won championships — i.e, Hines Ward, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann...”

Don't forget Santonio Holmes, whose game-winning catch in Super Bowl XLIII earned him MVP honors.

Holmes was watching the Steelers on Christmas when Brown made his 4-yard catch-and-stretch touchdown to beat the Baltimore Ravens and clinch the AFC North.

Eight years ago, Holmes made a mirror-image 4-yard touchdown against the Ravens — catching it inside the end zone before falling across the goal line.

“That was the first thought that came to my mind,” Holmes said by phone from Columbus, where he is finishing his degree at Ohio State. “We all looked at each other and said, ‘Wow, that reminds me of the play.'

“We reminisced of all the times I had as a Steeler, and that (play) will be forever remembered.”

Holmes will be forever remembered for his tiptoes catch in the right corner of the end zone against the Arizona Cardinals, a 6-yard touchdown with 35 seconds left to clinch the Steelers' sixth Lombardi Trophy.

“When you get a chance to play in the playoffs, that's Steelers football — and every wide receiver that has put on that Steelers jersey and made a name for themselves … did it big in playoff time,” Holmes said. “That's what Antonio Brown is looking for, that moment to put his place up as a Steeler great in the playoffs who performs and helps his team get an opportunity to play in a Super Bowl.”

The Steelers' journey — their Stairway to Seven, if you will — starts with an AFC wild-card playoff game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Heinz Field.

“This is where this journey begins,” Brown said. “I'm prepared and looking for a great opportunity to go out and perform with my teammates.”

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told Brown that his legacy won't be about stats, despite four straight seasons with at least 100 catches and 1,200 yards.

“What he's chasing is a little bit of football immortality,” Tomlin said. “His legacy and those things are always evolving in championships and championship play.”

While Santonio and Antonio were never teammates, they are connected in team history.

The Steelers traded Holmes to the New York Jets in April 2010 for a fifth-round pick. They dealt that pick to the Cardinals for Bryant McFadden and a sixth-rounder, which the Steelers used to take Brown.

Holmes, who calls himself a “die-hard Steeler till the end,” enjoys watching Brown play his position with similar stature and a willingness to return punts.

“He's my favorite receiver, no doubt,” Holmes said. “No matter how many opportunities he gets, he's going to do everything he can to make sure his team wins.

“I only had a select few number of touchdowns with the Steelers. And pretty much every one of them came at one of the most crucial moments of my career.”

If Holmes could offer any advice for Brown, it's this: Play every play until the last seconds of the clock run off. Make the plays when they come to you. Feel the moment, accept it, take control.

“The more you can do for the team — that's something Coach Tomlin would always say — is something that stuck with me,” Holmes said. “Now (Brown is) one of those guys that's always willing to do more. I know he has what it takes to do more.”

Brown visualizes making the most of his moments, saying he plays them over and over in his mind. After missing the AFC Divisional game at Denver last year with a concussion, Brown hopes to help the Steelers win a Super Bowl.

“Anytime you're a part of the Steelers organization, you understand that it's about being a champion,” Brown said. “It's a championship culture, a championship-type atmosphere, a championship team.

“All you've got to do is walk in here on the second floor and you see those guys' legacy on the wall and you see what it's about. So, being a part of it, me being here for a long time, I'm excited to have the opportunity of urging that experience of hosting a Lombardi.”

For Brown, as it was with Holmes, it's all about being remembered as a Steeler who won a Super Bowl. It's all about being a champion.

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at kgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.

http://triblive.com/sports/kevingorman/11743310-74/brown-holmes-steelers

MORE KEVIN GORMAN COLUMNS

Gorman: Timmons doesn't want this to be final ride with Steelers

Gorman: Rest assured, Week 17 was all about Steelers' health

Gorman: Pitt shows promise in deflating defeat

Gorman: Tomlin's teachable moment

Gorman: Steelers' Brown shows he's tough enough with TD

Antonio Brown has stats; wants Super Bowl to define legacy

Jeremy FowlerESPN Staff Writerhttp://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/January 4, 2017


Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) reaches the ball across the goal line for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016. The Steelers won 31-27. (AP Photo/Fred Vuich)

PITTSBURGH -- Antonio Brown can make the most confident cornerback question his occupation. Fantasy owners salute his generosity. Teammates praise his cat-burglar footwork. Perhaps the best sixth-round success story besides Tom Brady, Brown will one day earn residence in the exclusive cul-de-sac of NFL wide receivers alongside Marvin Harrison, Jerry Rice and Randy Moss.

But asking Brown about his accomplishments, at least now, is a nonstarter. After seven seasons, 632 catches for 8,377 yards, and 50 touchdowns, Brown acknowledges that a legacy stocked with highlight plays isn't quite complete.

Championship moments will satisfy.

"The world knows what I can do. It's not all about stats," said the 5-foot-10 Brown heading into the AFC North champion Steelers' matchup with the wild-card (and 6-seed) Miami Dolphins in Sunday's AFC wild-card game. "It’s about getting in that hallway and doing something special."

That "hallway" inside the Steelers' complex on the south side of Pittsburgh features a glass showcase of the franchise's six Super Bowl trophies, none of which Brown can claim. Brown was a situational rookie when the Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV after the 2010 season. Since then, he hasn't played again in an AFC Championship Game.

In the divisional round last postseason, perhaps the Steelers would have defeated the Denver Broncos if Brown hadn't been injured the previous week by a vicious helmet hit from Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict. The Steelers lost 23-16 without Brown, who was under concussion protocol.

To hear Brown quantify his title thirst makes this year's developments fitting. Though Brown's production is still otherworldly, his stat line of 106 catches for 1,284 yards and 12 touchdowns is down from the previous two years. He has faced constant double-teams while the Steelers struggled to establish a No. 2 receiver.

But Brown's most brilliant moment -- stretching out for a 4-yard touchdown in the final seconds of a Week 16 division-clinching win with two Baltimore Ravens draped over him -- has set a serious tone for a playoff run. Teammates don't want to waste the gritty efforts of one of their smallest yet toughest players.

These days, if you bring up anything related to stats – such as Brown's relinquishing the season receptions crown to Larry Fitzgerald by sitting out Week 17 with the AFC 3-seed already clinched -- Brown hits his best stutter step. He has already tied or won a receptions crown twice, after all.

"I’ve proved I can do all those things," Brown said. "The goal left for me is to win the Super Bowl.”

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin admits it's "awesome" to hear Brown say that. Tomlin had a hand in drafting Brown in 2010 and has watched him develop from a raw route runner to the top of every opposing team's scouting report.

No one appreciates Brown's on-field explosion more than Tomlin, whose star receiver has become the first with four straight 100-catch seasons since Harrison from 1999 to 2002.

But many of Tomlin's private talks with Brown have highlighted the bigger picture and how shiny titles look next to yards.

"How many balls can you catch -- 110, 125?" Tomlin said. "At the end of the day, he's dynamic. He steps into the stadium and he's a guy you better be prepared to reckon with. What he's chasing is a little bit of football immortality. His legacy and those things are always evolving in championships and championship play."

Brown is part of a Big Three on offense – alongside QB Ben Roethlisberger and RB Le'Veon Bell-- but has a unique playoff vantage point compared to the other two. Bell is 24 and, due to injuries, has never played in a playoff game. Roethlisberger has done most of his postseason damage without Brown, winning Super Bowls after the 2005 and 2008 seasons with Steelers greats such as RB Jerome Bettis and WR Hines Ward.

Brown might be the most famous of the three, a marketable star who floods televisions with Madden NFL 17 and Buffalo Wild Wings commercials. From his colorful cleats to quirky nicknames (Ronald Ocean) to end zone pelvic thrusts, fans dig his individualism.

But at age 28 and savoring the prime years of his career, Brown senses championship windows can close quickly.

He plans to take advantage.

"I know what I’m capable of doing," Brown said. "At this point in my career, it’s all about finding a way to do great things to get that Super Bowl hardware.”