Brown delivers as Steelers beat Falcons, 34-16
Steelers receiver Antonio Brown (84) makes his second touchdown catch of the evening against the Atlanta Falcons Saturday at Heinz Field.
Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons runs takes off with the ball after an interception against the Atlanta Falcons Saturday evening at Heinz Field.
PITTSBURGH (AP) 无毛视频� Antonio Brown无毛视频檚 youthful exuberance cost the Pittsburgh Steelers 15 yards on Saturday night.
If the second-year wideout keeps producing the way he did in a 34-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons, they can live with the growing pains.
Brown continued his electrifying preseason, catching four passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, serving notice Mike Wallace isn无毛视频檛 the only gamebreaker on the defending AFC champions.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 just preseason and this game doesn无毛视频檛 count,无毛视频� Brown said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 doing some great things but it无毛视频檚 not the end of the world. You just want to continue to work hard and build and stay focused.无毛视频�
Particularly when you无毛视频檙e running into the end zone. Brown drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taunting when he pointed the ball at a pair of defenders while finishing off a 77-yard catch and run for a score. The flag didn无毛视频檛 even include a somewhat awkward jaunt into the stands, where Brown appeared to briefly get caught on the fencing.
无毛视频淚 just got too excited,无毛视频� Brown said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e got to calm down a little bit 无毛视频� I无毛视频檝e got to be smart.无毛视频�
The flag earned Brown a talking to from Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin, and Brown toned it down 无毛视频� well, a little 无毛视频� on a 44-yard score late in the first half. This time he took a page from teammate and 无毛视频淒ancing With the Stars无毛视频� champion Hines Ward, putting together a little jig to cap a nearly flawless half by Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 offensive starters.
Ben Roethlisberger finished 11 of 16 for 214 yards and the two touchdowns as the Steelers scored on four of their six first-half possessions.
无毛视频淚t was not a consistent, dominant performance that we were looking for, or winning by attrition, but we were explosive offensively,无毛视频� Tomlin said. 无毛视频淲e made key plays, game-changing plays defensively.无毛视频�
The Falcons looked at the game as a litmus test. The defending NFC South champions moved the ball with ease but couldn无毛视频檛 match Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 fireworks.
无毛视频淲e gave up too many explosive plays there in the first half on the passing game in third-down situations,无毛视频� coach Mike Smith said. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e obviously got a whole lot of work to do over the next 14-15 days and that无毛视频檚 what the preseason is for.无毛视频�
Atlanta无毛视频檚 Matt Ryan squeezed an entire game无毛视频檚 worth of action into two quarters, completing 22 of 42 for 220 yards with a touchdown and an interception against a banged-up Pittsburgh secondary missing starting cornerbacks Bryant McFadden and Ike Taylor.
Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 defense, which harassed Philadelphia无毛视频檚 Michael Vick into three picks last week, wasn无毛视频檛 quite so dominant trying to contain Atlanta无毛视频檚 versatile and high-powered offense.
The Falcons spread the field to minimize the Steelers无毛视频� vaunted pass rush and Ryan tested Pittsburgh reserve cornerbacks Keenan Lewis and William Gay, who had trouble keeping up with one of the league无毛视频檚 best receiving corps.
White finished with eight receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown, Rookie Julio Jones hauled in five passes for 59 yards and had a potential 49-yard touchdown pass slip through his fingers.
无毛视频淚f I felt like I could run by the safeties, just run by them,无毛视频� Jones said. 无毛视频淚f I couldn无毛视频檛 I was just going to hook it up. I just felt like I could run by them and Matt threw a great ball to me. I just got to make that play.无毛视频�
It was the kind of play Brown has made a habit of in the preseason.
Considered no higher than fourth on the depth chart when camp began, he has turned into a revelation while filling in for injured Emmanuel Sanders.
Brown scored a 29-yard touchdown against Philadelphia a week ago on a nifty double-move after Roethlisberger escaped pressure. He was so open when he caught the ball he needed to do little more than remain on his feet.
Against the Falcons, Brown 无毛视频� who occasionally wears a UPS vest given to him by his brother 无毛视频� delivered in more spectacular fashion.
He started the game with a 51-yard kickoff return that led to a 1-yard plunge Rashard Mendenhall, a mere warmup to what was to come.
Facing third-and-6 from the Pittsburgh 23 early in the second quarter, Roethlisberger found Brown running down the seam at midfield. Brown split a pair of defenders and easily outran them to the end zone.
He struck again shortly before halftime, outjumping Atlanta无毛视频檚 Brent Grimes and Dominique Franks in the end zone to complete a 44-yard score.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a really good football player,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 got good instincts.无毛视频�
Pittsburgh linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who signed a hefty six-year, $50 million contract earlier in the week, appeared in a hurry to start living up to the expectations. Timmons had six tackles and chased down Ryan无毛视频檚 pass that deflected off the helmet of tight end Michael Palmer, returning it 44 yards to set up Shaun Suisham无毛视频檚 field goal for a 10-0 lead.
Atlanta later tied it, yet could only answer Brown无毛视频檚 touchdowns with field goals. The Falcons rolled up 17 first downs in the half 无毛视频� but Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 defense dug in when it mattered in an entertaining half that is easily the closest both teams have come to mimicking the regular season.
There were no such fireworks in the second half save for a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown by Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 Crezdon Butler.
NOTES: Pittsburgh backup QB Byron Leftwich broke his left arm early in the second half . 无毛视频� Atlanta DE Ray Edwards played into the third quarter but failed to make a tackle in his first action of the preseason 无毛视频� Atlanta RB back Michael Turner was held to 19 yards on seven carries and has just 54 yards on 18 carries through three games.
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