RADIO
It's been a tough year for Antonio Brown, who was the highest rated fantasy receiver coming into the season. Brown was stellar in the first three weeks of the season with 29 catches, 436 yards and two touchdowns, but then Ben Roethlisberger went down with a knee injury and everything changed. Michael Vick struggled in the offense and Brown's productivity suffered. The shining light on the horizon isn't Big Ben's return but the emergence of third string quarterback Landry Jones.
Jones completed eight of 12 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFL action against a tough Arizona Cardinals defense. This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers face a much easier task in the form of the Kansas City Chiefs' secondary. The Chiefs have allowed 1,660 yards through the air and they rank 30th in the NFL with 14 touchdown passes allowed.
Nobody expects Jones to breakout in his first NFL start, but he will be smart to rely on Brown and Le'Veon Bell to produce big plays and make himself look good. With Vick at quarterback for most of the snaps, Brown managed the same number of fantasy points in weeks four through six combined as he did in week three alone. Through the first half of week six against the Cardinals, Brown had just one reception for -2 yards. Coming off of a season where he had 129 receptions and 1,698 yards, those three weeks have been a killer for fantasy football managers. But the talent is undeniable, and you can only contain Brown for so long.
The biggest challenge for Jones will be the pass rush of the Chiefs, led by Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. The pair combined for 50 sacks over the last two seasons, and the key to beating them is getting the ball out fast. The Steelers will use Bell up the middle and on screens to relieve some of the pressure, but they'll also rely on quick passes to their wide receivers. The Chiefs have been susceptible to those types of plays, especially in the redzone, and Brown is great at getting yards after the catch.
The Steelers are on the cusp of Roethlisberger's returning, and a win against the Chiefs would be huge. It moves the team to 5-2 and an impressive 3-1 without Big Ben. In order to do that, Brown needs to step up and have a big game. Fortunately, the Chiefs are the perfect opponent for that.
