Antonio Brown understands why Mike Tomlin benched him
By Mike Dyce
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin benched wide receiver Antonio Brown late in the loss to the New England Patriots. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw a pass towards Brown that was intercepted and it looked like there was some miscommunication or poor execution.
“Coach got me and Ben together [on the sideline] and talked about the execution of the play and what transpired,” Brown said, via By Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “From there, coach thought it was best I don’t go back in the game for the last series, so he came to me and told me we’re going to keep you out this series but just stay with me.
“I can’t afford to be in miscommunication with Ben. I can’t afford to not have my depth and not be where I need to be. Being on this football team and being the No. 1 guy, I got to take responsibility to give the team my best, and Coach thought I wasn’t giving my best. Coach made the right decision.”
Brown leads the league in receptions with 61 catches for 701 yards and three touchdowns. He hasn’t been the deep threat that Mike Wallace but he has been solid for the Steelers.