Chapter 589 Turn a blind eye
What is the root cause of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense's complete openness?
Subvert expectations.
A seemingly important but forgotten Brown.
A Conner who stood in the spotlight because he took over Bell's starting job, only to be used as the fifth offensive lineman.
Roethlisberger, who seems to be low-key and has no sense of presence, has entered a state of retirement, but at critical moments he becomes tough and controls the key points of the offense. .
Speculations are flying everywhere, but no one knows what happened to the Pittsburgh Steelers during the offseason——
Judging from Antonio Brown's performance, he doesn't know either.
Originally, Bell stopped training and Brown came out to express his position. Obviously, Brown chose to stand with the team and shouted to Bell as the team's mouthpiece. It suddenly became clear that without Bell, Brown is the only superstar of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. .
However, now?
The season opener was snubbed, and although Brown has been on the field, he has only been the target of passes three times so far.
All happened in the first quarter.
Of course, there is an objective reason for this. The Kansas Chiefs used two or even three players to help defend Brown, and Brown could not get rid of him. Roethlisberger could not find a suitable opportunity, and the passing opportunities naturally declined; once the Kansas Chiefs' defense relaxed, Brown If we regain the space to move around, things will be different——
This is why the Kansas Chiefs have never been able to ignore Brown easily.
But three times?
Is this too exaggerated? Plus Brown and Tomlin's little skirmish.
All signs point to the Pittsburgh Steelers offense's biggest receiver being dissatisfied with being a mere decoy.
So, does this mean the Kansas City Chiefs should adjust their defensive strategy?
"Fowler, are you ready?"
The defending champion defensive team has already appeared. Before forming, Houston looked at the third-year cornerback who had just joined in the offseason with a slightly worried look——
I am eager to try and gear up, but I am a little impatient.
At such moments, Levi is much calmer and more trustworthy.
Houston didn't realize it, but Levi had become his measuring stick.
Fowler didn't notice the worry hidden behind Houston's hesitation. He only had eyes for a person wearing a black jersey not far away——
Antonio Brown.
After jumping twice, Fowler turned his head and glanced at Levi on the edge of the court.
The second-year rookie has grown into a well-deserved leader of the team, and he is still waiting for the opportunity to prove himself. Now that the opportunity has finally come, he will not miss it, and he will prove his ability.
He is not a shooting star.
Excellent performance in middle school and college is not a dream. He can also have a place in the professional league, just like Levi.
Withdrawing his gaze, Fowler continued to stare at Brown, still not looking at Houston, and just said, "Of course."
Levi can do it, and so can he.
Then.
Before Houston could continue to speak, Fowler was already running to his position and getting ready.
Houston was left alone, looking a little helpless, but in the end he didn't say much. Whether he was a mule or a horse, he still needed to go out for a walk to find out; Revis' retirement was already an established fact, and the next step was to see what happened to these young people. , took a deep breath, and he also formed a formation.
Everything is ready.
In the past quarter and a half of the game, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense was completely in control, and the pressure on the Kansas Chiefs defense seemed to exceed the limit, but this does not mean the end, the game is still going on——
"attack!"
Roethlisberger called the kickoff.
Fowler, instead of taking the first step, took a step back.
Bend your knees, lower your center of gravity, be on full alert, and keep your eyes on Brown. Fowler knows that against Brown, any distraction is not allowed.
In fact, in terms of size, Fowler is slightly bigger than Brown; but Brown has his own experience in facing the current trend of big cornerbacks in the league. He is not only more flexible and agile, but also not weak in confrontation. Coupled with excellent route running and soft catching touch, it is not surprising that Brown can become the league's No. 1 wide receiver.
Therefore, defending Brown often requires a numerical advantage.
But now, the Kansas Chiefs have decided to make a change -
Fowler singled out Brown.
Fowler has only one task. He doesn't care about other things like rushing the ball, running the ball on the ground, second-line defense, etc. He just keeps an eye on Brown. The Kansas Chiefs release a cornerback to specifically confront Brown.
Whether the defending champion can reverse the defensive disadvantage depends on whether Fowler can lock down Brown.
This was the opportunity Fowler had been waiting for.
Like Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Ramsey, every game can get the opportunity to challenge the opponent's top receiver for a head-to-head confrontation, prove his ability with a strong confrontation, and win a place in the league.
Fowler also believed in himself.
He knows that he cannot compete with Ramsey now. This is an objective fact and there is no need to deny it; but he also knows that his potential is more than that. He is still growing and making progress. He will polish himself down-to-earth like Levi, Finally bloom your own light.
Right in front of you is the first step.
Fowler did not step forward rashly, but took a step back to gain space for Brown to defend. When he noticed Brown starting, he started to follow.
It wasn't until he was about five yards away from the line of scrimmage that Fowler stuck to Brown. He kept hitting Brown with his shoulder, destroying his balance, and clinging to Brown with his body, clinging to Brown like candy.
However, Brown also showed his ability.
He suddenly realized that there was no double-teaming by multiple players, only one-on-one.
In the NFL, Brown has never been afraid of anyone in a one-on-one matchup.
Including Ramsey.
Although the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered an upset loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round last season; Brown and Ramsey had the upper hand in their matchup.
In Brown's view, Ramsey is still too young and needs to continue to be polished. Whether he wants to become Sherman or Revis, Ramsey still has a long way to go.
And Fowler?
Haha, who is this?
He never remembers the names of unknown soldiers, otherwise he will lose too many people to remember.
Brown, made no attempt to shake off.
Not only didn't he, but he took the initiative to move up to Fowler.
The two men were completely entangled, but when Fowler was about to get in position, Brown started first, followed the upper step and hit Fowler with his shoulder, creating an arm's length space between them.
A pause, a turn——
The space to catch the ball is already available.
Brown reached for the ball: gap, gap!
Roethlisberger did not see Brown.
The football was passed to tight end Jesse James, who was in the right slot not far from Brown, and was the hero of the Pittsburgh Steelers' first touchdown.
Brown looked at the football passing arc that was close at hand but could not help. He looked up at the sky in despair. Anyway, this passing attack had nothing to do with him.
Damn it!
However, this time the Kansas Chiefs defense finally had its hands free.
Linebacker Houston was stuck in position for the first time, and safety guard Murray quickly followed up to help defend. The one after another attack caused James to lose his position.
Pass incomplete!
(End of this chapter)