PITTSBURGH (AP) — The NFL's leading receiver — the one taken in the sixth round of the 2010 draft as an unknown, undersized project — would like to have a word.
Freed by a crackdown on illegal contact in the secondary, bolstered by creative sets designed to get him in open space and emboldened by a chip on his shoulder that never seems to go away,jerseys cheap nfl, Brown is spearheading a mini-revolution at his position.
The catch is a fitting symbol to the tenacity of smaller receivers who've spent most of their lives trying to carve out their own space in a sport that can't seem to get big enough fast enough.
That trumps any rules, Steelers wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey said.
The 26-year-old Brown may be the most dangerous player in the league,Cheap Stitched Jerseys, turning every slant or quick screen into a showcase for his roadrunner footwork regardless of where the Steelers are at on the field. While brawny tight ends like Rob Gronkowski and supersized wideouts like Demaryius Thomas remain matchup issues in tight spaces, Brown and his buddies are making an impact from goal line to goal line.
Midway through 2014, the NFL's most electric playmakers are the guys whose modest frames belie big-time numbers.
They're doing more than that. They're finding the end zone with the same frequency as their larger — and largely higher profile — colleagues.
Point out that at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds the frenetic Pittsburgh Steelers star is hardly considered an NFL prototype, and Brown shrugs.
"You give a guy like that some space, I'm not even talking about a lot of space, I'm talking about 'man in the phone booth' kind of space, he's going to take off," Taylor said.
Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor has spent a dozen seasons chasing receivers while watching fads come and go. Witnessing Brown's evolution from raw talent to unstoppable force is symbolic of the NFL's shifting the balance of power to the offense.
"I think it's helping receivers in general," Cobb said. "But definitely with our quickness and being able to get separation from the DB at the top of routes,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, and them not being able to grab has definitely helped."
"They made a mistake," Brown said with a smile.
"I'm not a little guy,Nike NFL Jerseys China," Antonio Brown says.
You think?
They're not alone. Seven of the top 11 players in yards receiving are under 6 feet tall.
Brown, Sanders and Green Bay's Randall Cobb are in the top 10 in red zone receptions, a tribute to their uncanny ability to wiggle free when opposing cornerbacks try to get physical and the NFL's increased policing of the pushing and shoving that goes on downfield.
Hilton and Andrew Luck are building the same rapport in Indianapolis that Brown shares with Ben Roethlisberger. Last Monday against the Giants, Luck floated a pass toward Hilton in the end zone that Hilton wrestled away from Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a taller cornerback, for a TD.
Emmanuel Sanders (5-11) is developing into Peyton Manning's favorite target in Denver. Golden Tate (5-10) has become so explosive the Lions are soaring even with Johnson — Megatron himself — struggling to stay healthy. Julian Edelman (5-10) is Wes Welker version 2.0 in New England. The Redskins are a hot mess but DeSean Jackson (5-10) and his not-a-typo 21.8 yards per reception offer the beleaguered franchise and quarterback Robert Griffin III a glimmer of hope.
Scooch over Calvin Johnson. Make room Julio Jones. Hold up there A.J. Green and Dez Bryant, you've got company.
"Coordinators are putting small guys off the line, making sure you're not able to get your hands on them, using stacked positions, putting a receiver behind a tight end," Taylor said. "They're finding ways to maneuver these small guys and it's been working."
Clearly, there's still a place for receivers built like small forwards. Pittsburgh's offense didn't truly take off until 6-4 rookie Martavis Bryant was inserted into the lineup last month as the lanky yin to Brown's quicksilver yang.
Even facing constant double teams, Brown is on pace to set single-season team records in every major statistical receiving category, though he's barely ahead of Hilton, a former youth football teammate when the two were growing up in Florida.
After 10 weeks of play,NBA Jerseys China, Brown's 70 receptions and 1,070 yards receiving are tops in the league and his eight touchdowns are tied for fourth. Brown's childhood buddy T.Y. Hilton of the Indianapolis Colts —
