Ben, AB say relationship isn’t fractured
PITTSBURGH 鈥� An alleged fractured relationship Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown really isn鈥檛 fractured.
So they say.
As the two worked on two-point conversion plays after Thursday鈥檚 practice, offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner was adamant that the most prolific passing duo in the NFL are just fine.
鈥淭hey do (talk),鈥� said Fichtner. 鈥淎nd they work hard. They worked hard again today. You probably saw a lot of balls go his way. Not that they鈥檙e trying to do anything that鈥檚 not normal. Usually a lot of balls go his way. A lot of balls been going his way now. We just haven鈥檛 hooked up on them all. I think they鈥檙e coming.鈥�
Brown鈥檚 53 targets are second most in the NFL and the most he鈥檚 had after four games in his nine-year career. But Brown鈥檚 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鈥檚 game against Baltimore he and Roethlisberger made hand gestures to each other after a couple of incompletions, but many fans noticed the two didn鈥檛 talk on the sideline. Fichtner feels that鈥檚 a mischaracterization.
鈥淭hey talk a lot,鈥� Fichtner said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of communication, GOOD communication.鈥�
Roethlisberger agreed that there isn鈥檛 an issue between the two.
鈥淣o, goodness no,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny, because Tuesday night someone said there鈥檚 this big dysfunction between us. We started texting and laughing about it. We thought it was hilarious.鈥�
The two stayed after practice and seemed fine. Brown remained longer to catch passes from Mason Rudolph as Roethlisberger hit the showers.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no issue,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥淭ruthfully, and I told him this, I said, 鈥楲isten, when you speak to the media on Friday, tell them I just need to be better.'鈥�
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.
鈥淚t has nothing to do with us as a connection,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥淚t just has to do with me playing better. Truthfully, that鈥檚 all I think it is. But we鈥檙e great. There鈥檚 nothing to that. Listen, we laughed about people wanting to create things that aren鈥檛 there. There isn鈥檛 anything there.
鈥淲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鈥檚 even a little bit of a hiccup people are going to freak out. Is it worth freaking out over? He鈥檚 still getting a lot of targets, but it鈥檚 just not connecting for big yards. Our production is probably what a lot of quarterback-wide receiver combos are satisfied with. Obviously we鈥檙e not because we鈥檝e been at a higher level. I just think it鈥檚 a little too early to panic for people, but I understand why they are because they expect gaudiness.鈥�
LARRY LINEBACKER
Teammates call L.J. Fort 鈥淟arry,鈥� which caught defensive coordinator Keith Butler off guard.
鈥淟arry?鈥� Butler repeated to his questioner.
Fort. The guy who鈥檚 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.
鈥淗e鈥檚 gonna get his chance,鈥� said Butler. 鈥淗e鈥檚 gonna get his chance here this week probably. Yeah, I think he鈥檚 played well for us. So we鈥檒l see this week how he does. This is a big week for him. I hope he plays well because I think he鈥檚 a legitimate linebacker in the National Football League.鈥�
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鈥檚 been with the team 鈥� roster or practice squad 鈥� ever since, and has become a core member of the special teams.
But he鈥檚 still quick enough to perhaps give the Steelers the coverage backer they鈥檝e missed since Ryan Shazier went down, and after an outstanding preseason Fort was wondering if he would ever get a chance.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely frustrating at times,鈥� Fort said. 鈥淚 felt like I played well enough in preseason. But, live action鈥檚 a whole different ball game. That鈥檚 where you need to prove it, and that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 looking forward to.鈥�
Fort expects to be used at inside linebacker in sub-packages Sunday against the Falcons.
INJURY REPORT
Along with Williams (hamstring), Steelers missing Thursday鈥檚 practice were left guard Ramon Foster (coach鈥檚 decision), right tackle Marcus Gilbert (knee), receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (ankle) and safety Morgan Burnett (groin), who once again fell off from Wednesday鈥檚 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).