The Steelers lost to the rival Chiefs on Sunday, 42-37, after Patrick Mahomes continued his torrid touchdown pace by passing for six more in the win. A fan decided to call out Antonio Brown after the loss, calling him "lucky" for having Ben Roethlisberger as his quarterback for his first six seasons:
Brown's response to the tweet on Monday felt like a challenge of sorts, even though the fan didn't include his handle or his full name:
The angle of the fan's original tweet is part of a debate that's always as old as the NFL: Is it the quarterback or the wide receiver who gets the credit? Does Jerry Rice become Jerry Rice without Joe Montana and Steve Young? How much of Eli Manning's non-Super Bowl success has to do with Odell Beckham Jr.? (A lot.)
AB has made the Pro Bowl in each of his six seasons, and he was First Team All-Pro the last four. He led the league in receiving yards last season and in 2014, and he was named by his peers as the No. 2 player in the entire league, trailing only the GOAT in New England. He's one of, if not the best, wide receivers in the game today and a luxury for an aging Roethlisberger.
The fan was wrong, but Brown's response felt like a bit of a challenge to the Steelers, who are still smarting from the Le'Veon Bell fiasco as their starting running back continues to hold out. Last February, Bell signed a four-year, $68 million extension with the Steelers, so we're guessing they feel differently from the fan, too. Brown should try a little harder to curtail his impulsivity when he's upset.
Then again, it's that sort or tenacity that lands you all the accolades, including the most recent Madden cover, so maybe we should shut up and just let AB be AB. Same goes for the fan.
