After the Steelers decided to make the decision to give Antonio Brown a contract over Mike Wallace, it has paid off. Wallace decided to leave Pittsburgh and go to Miami while Antonio Brown stayed in Pittsburgh. The sixth round pick Antonio Brown has made the Steelers forget about trading away Santonio Holmes and releasing Mike Wallace.
Antonio Brown is top 15 in receiving yards while being top 3 in receptions this year. On the other hand, Mike Wallace seems not to find a rhythm in the Miami offense and there are complaints about the lack of targets he has had this season. Antonio Brown has not struggled with not being targeted as he has proven to be Ben Roethlisberger’s most reliable target on third downs.
When Wallace left, the huge question was, Who was going to be the deep threat for the Steelers? The Steelers receiving core has put an end to those questions with the duel threat of Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. Both receivers have exceptional speed and good hands. Mike Wallace struggled in the catching category, dropping balls and getting under-thrown, but when he did catch the ball, he was electric.
Now in Todd Haley’s revamped offense, the Steelers’ receiving relies more on short throws and yards after catch, which fits Antonio Brown, who can catch and make something out of it with his playmaking abilities. Mike Wallace, on the other hand, in Miami, has been double teamed and is only used to expanding the field and not for doing short intermediate routes, limiting his playmaking ability.
Look at the numbers of the players this season. Mike Wallace has 27 receptions for 357 yards and one touchdown. While Antonio Brown has 47 receptions for 548 yards while having two touchdowns. The Steelers have won two games in a row, while the Dolphins have dropped three in a row and looking like they are on the decline.
All in all, it seems like the Steelers invested in the right guy. While Mike Wallace is the bigger name for now, Antonio Brown will get the recognition by the end of the year.