Ben, AB say relationship isn’t fractured
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� An alleged fractured relationship Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown really isn无毛视频檛 fractured.
So they say.
As the two worked on two-point conversion plays after Thursday无毛视频檚 practice, offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner was adamant that the most prolific passing duo in the NFL are just fine.
无毛视频淭hey do (talk),无毛视频� said Fichtner. 无毛视频淎nd they work hard. They worked hard again today. You probably saw a lot of balls go his way. Not that they无毛视频檙e trying to do anything that无毛视频檚 not normal. Usually a lot of balls go his way. A lot of balls been going his way now. We just haven无毛视频檛 hooked up on them all. I think they无毛视频檙e coming.无毛视频�
Brown无毛视频檚 53 targets are second most in the NFL and the most he无毛视频檚 had after four games in his nine-year career. But Brown无毛视频檚 only caught 29 of them, and at a career-low average of 9.4 yards per catch.
He had two in-game eruptions against Kansas City, and in last Sunday无毛视频檚 game against Baltimore he and Roethlisberger made hand gestures to each other after a couple of incompletions, but many fans noticed the two didn无毛视频檛 talk on the sideline. Fichtner feels that无毛视频檚 a mischaracterization.
无毛视频淭hey talk a lot,无毛视频� Fichtner said. 无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 a lot of communication, GOOD communication.无毛视频�
Roethlisberger agreed that there isn无毛视频檛 an issue between the two.
无毛视频淣o, goodness no,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 funny, because Tuesday night someone said there无毛视频檚 this big dysfunction between us. We started texting and laughing about it. We thought it was hilarious.无毛视频�
The two stayed after practice and seemed fine. Brown remained longer to catch passes from Mason Rudolph as Roethlisberger hit the showers.
无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 no issue,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said. 无毛视频淭ruthfully, and I told him this, I said, 无毛视频楲isten, when you speak to the media on Friday, tell them I just need to be better.'无毛视频�
Roethlisberger said the same right after the loss to the Ravens when he took the blame for a scoreless second half.
Brown finished the game with five catches for 62 yards and a first-half touchdown, but several third-down misses in the second half doomed the Steelers.
无毛视频淚t has nothing to do with us as a connection,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said. 无毛视频淚t just has to do with me playing better. Truthfully, that无毛视频檚 all I think it is. But we无毛视频檙e great. There无毛视频檚 nothing to that. Listen, we laughed about people wanting to create things that aren无毛视频檛 there. There isn无毛视频檛 anything there.
无毛视频淲hat I think it is, and I said this on my show, too, that when you do it at such a high level for X amount of years, the second that there无毛视频檚 even a little bit of a hiccup people are going to freak out. Is it worth freaking out over? He无毛视频檚 still getting a lot of targets, but it无毛视频檚 just not connecting for big yards. Our production is probably what a lot of quarterback-wide receiver combos are satisfied with. Obviously we无毛视频檙e not because we无毛视频檝e been at a higher level. I just think it无毛视频檚 a little too early to panic for people, but I understand why they are because they expect gaudiness.无毛视频�
LARRY LINEBACKER
Teammates call L.J. Fort 无毛视频淟arry,无毛视频� which caught defensive coordinator Keith Butler off guard.
无毛视频淟arry?无毛视频� Butler repeated to his questioner.
Fort. The guy who无毛视频檚 receiving more practice reps this week with the injury to Vince Williams.
Fort looks like the coverage backer for whom the Steelers have been searching, so Butler was asked why he never gives Fort a chance to play.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 gonna get his chance,无毛视频� said Butler. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 gonna get his chance here this week probably. Yeah, I think he无毛视频檚 played well for us. So we无毛视频檒l see this week how he does. This is a big week for him. I hope he plays well because I think he无毛视频檚 a legitimate linebacker in the National Football League.无毛视频�
Fort came out of Northern Iowa with 356 career tackles and was the 2011 FCS Defensive Player of the Year after making 184 tackles. He ran an impressive 4.67 40 at his pro day but went undrafted. He bounced around to five teams before the Steelers claimed him on waivers in August of 2015. He无毛视频檚 been with the team 无毛视频� roster or practice squad 无毛视频� ever since, and has become a core member of the special teams.
But he无毛视频檚 still quick enough to perhaps give the Steelers the coverage backer they无毛视频檝e missed since Ryan Shazier went down, and after an outstanding preseason Fort was wondering if he would ever get a chance.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 definitely frustrating at times,无毛视频� Fort said. 无毛视频淚 felt like I played well enough in preseason. But, live action无毛视频檚 a whole different ball game. That无毛视频檚 where you need to prove it, and that无毛视频檚 what I无毛视频檓 looking forward to.无毛视频�
Fort expects to be used at inside linebacker in sub-packages Sunday against the Falcons.
INJURY REPORT
Along with Williams (hamstring), Steelers missing Thursday无毛视频檚 practice were left guard Ramon Foster (coach无毛视频檚 decision), right tackle Marcus Gilbert (knee), receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (ankle) and safety Morgan Burnett (groin), who once again fell off from Wednesday无毛视频檚 limited participation.
Missing practice for the Falcons were cornerback Justin Bethel (knee) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (ankle/knee). Limited were OLB Vic Beasley, WR Julio Jones (hand/ankle), LB Foyesade Oluokun (ankle) and DE Derrick Shelby (groin).