Martavis Bryant made his presence known when he returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers following a suspension. The wide receiver missed the first five games of the season for a suspension and knee injury, but got back on the field in a big way with six catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant was the star of the show and that could be a continuing trend as Ben Roethlisberger is set to return for Week 7 play.
Bryant's rise on the field was met with Antonio Brown's fade into the shadows. Since the injury to Roethlisberger, the receiver has not made a very big impact on the field. The offense has been going throw Le'Veon Bell leaving Brown a distant memory. That could certainly change if Roethlisberger comes back. According to the quarterback, the plan is to play Week 7 after getting in two weeks of practice. That would put him in the window of the original return date after suffering a sprained MCL. With Michael Vick injured, Roethlisberger is needed or else Landry Jones will see his first start.
"We're going to tape it and brace it and I'm going to see what I can do," Roethlisberger said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "My plan is to go out Wednesday and practice. We'll see what happens. I know I've got to be smart about it. I've got to be able to defend myself. We're just going to take it day by day."
The return of Roethlisberger will either mean bigger numbers for Bryant or a breakout game for Brown. Head coach Mike Tomlin recognized that Brown is frustrated over his lack of targets. The receiver spoke out saying he told Vick to throw to him and he will make the plays, but that did not happen. Tomlin noted that Brown has a great connection with Roethlisberger which will show once the quarterback is healthy.
"It's uncomfortable for him, no doubt. It's obvious," Tomlin said, via PennLive.com. "He's got a great rapport with Ben Roethlisberger and Ben's not playing. What are we going to do to win the game? When you're hunting what he's hunting, his career will be defined on how many Lombardis he contributes to our stash."
Bryant's big day was needed for Pittsburgh, but they also need Brown to step up once again. With Jones potentially preparing for his first start, having as many weapons to work with will make his job easier. Bell noted that the team has confidence in Jones if he were to start again noting the quarterback has learned a lot playing behind Roethlisberger.
"Landry was like Ben's little brother out there," Bell said, via ESPN. "He was out there making checks and everything and it brought us back like 'Dang, Landry really got this. "After we scored the first touchdown, it was like a confidence booster."
