Throughout the Steelers' nine-game win streak, there were thoughts how they might cope if one of their major weapons were unable to contribute. It occurred Sunday. Le'Veon Bell was felled by a nagging groin injury earlier against the Patriots, which made Antonio Brown the focal point of the defensive schemes.
How was Ben Roethlisberger going to adjust, having to rely on players who were lower in the depth chart? After Brown, the Steelers relied on Sammie Coates, Eli Rogers, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Cobi Hamilton. Before Martavis Bryant was suspended, the Steelers would have considered none of those receivers above being their fourth option.
Roethlisberger had most of the season to get the young receivers acclimated and was able to make plays with each of them, but Coates' finger injury limited his production around midseason, and Hamilton's only touchdowns came in garbage-time situations.
Let's go into the film room to show what happened:
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