Antonio Brown’s top 5 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers

Now that one of the biggest storylines for the Pittsburgh Steelers has finally come to an end, I think it’s time to reflect on Antonio Brown’s time as a Steeler.

He provided the team and the city of Pittsburgh with nine years that has never been seen before. It will be something that will be hard to beat in years that follow. The stats speak for themselves and the big plays, starting from year 1 to now, captivated fans everywhere.

The list of accomplishments he complied in Pittsburgh is very impressive, to say the least: Seven time pro-bowler, four time first-team all-pro, two time NFL receiving yards leader, two time NFL receptions leader, NFL record for most receptions in a seven year span, best receiver in franchise history, on and on and on you could go. Even with the off-field controversies of recent history, he will be one of the most celebrated Steelers of all-time. His legacy on the field is unmatched.

Now that he is gone, I wanted to take a look back at his top games as a Steeler and there were A LOT to choose from. I decided on the following:

2015, Week 9 in a win vs. Raiders

• 17 catches for 284 yards

o I tried to avoid simply going by the biggest stat games and wanted to include ones that he was at his best, but this one is just too hard to ignore. He single handedly was the offense this game. The others on the team registering catches were DeAngelo Williams (2 for 55), Heath Miller (3 for 32), Martavis Bryant (3 for 31), Jesse James (2 for 13), and Markus Wheaton (1 for -2).

2015, Week 15 in a win vs. Broncos

• 16 catches for 189 yards and 2 Touchdowns

o Pittsburgh got off to a very slow start and that put them in a 27-13 deficit at half. AB was an enormous part of their comeback in the second half as he scored the game winning touchdown with under 4 minutes to play. It was a huge win and allowed the Steelers to sneak into the playoffs at 10-6 (6 seed).

2016, Week 16 in a win vs. Ravens

• 10 catches for 96 yards and 1 Touchdown

o While this wasn’t the biggest or best stat line from AB, this was the game where he scored the game winning touchdown with 13 seconds to play: “The stretch”. That play won the division for the Steelers. If he didn’t get in, time would have run out and the game would have ended in a loss.

2017, Week(s) 11 and 12 in wins vs. Titans and Packers

• total of 20 catches for 313 yards and 5 touchdowns

I wanted to put these two together because:

▪ They are as impressive of back-to-back weeks that you will ever find

▪ They were part of his best season as a Steeler (101 catches for 1,533 yards and 9 touchdowns in 13.5 games)

The sour taste in the mouths of Steeler fans regarding AB will be one that will subside with time. I think when it’s all said and done, fans will welcome him back with open arms, long after his career ends. Now that it is over, both sides can move forward and do what is best for them.

The Steelers, no doubt, have a huge hole to fill. Hopefully this will be an addition by subtraction, but after looking back at it, I am not so sure.

He might be Mr big chest now, but when the Steelers really needed him most, he was Mr. big play.