Antonio Brown is currently the best wide receiver in the NFL.
Being a part of the Pittsburgh media may have some thinking there is some bias there, but as things stand today, Brown is indeed the best wide receiver in the NFL.
Better than Demarius Thomas. Better than T.Y. Hilton and Brandon Marshall. Dare I say it, better than the great Calvin Johnson.
The numbers this season certainly support that bold assertion. Brown leads the NFL with 71 catches, 15 more than Hilton’s second place total. Brown also leads the league in receiving yards (996), catches for first downs (44) and is second in TD receptions (8), yards per game (110.7) and catches over 20 yards with 14.
Count Ben Roethlisberger as one of those who continues to be amazed by the play of Brown. Roethlisberger said as much after Sunday night’s 11-catch, 144-yard performance against the Ravens, which included a dazzling 54-yard catch and run touchdown.
“Anytime you get the ball in his hands, he’s something special. It’s like I said earlier this week, talk about the receivers that I play with, he’s at the top of it, because he’s something special, he’s fun to watch,” said Roethlisberger. “I’m glad he’s on my team. I can tell you that much.”
Brown’s epic season to this point has him on pace for nearly 1,800 yards at his current production rate. If he can reach that lofty total, he would be only the third receiver to break the 1,800-yard plateau. Only the great Jerry Rice (1,848 in 1995) and Johnson (1,964 in 2012) have accomplished that feat in NFL history.
The next question then becomes can Brown be the first player to break 2,000 yards? With upcoming games against some of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, including the Jets, Titans, Falcons and Saints, it certainly is in the realm of possibilities. In order to achieve this never accomplished feat, Brown would need to average 144.7 yards per game. An uphill climb for sure, but not exactly impossible.
Regardless, it’s clear that the former sixth-round pick from Western Michigan has taken his game to a different level, and though at 5’10 and 188 pounds, he does not have the prototypical size that is in demand with NFL wide receivers, he has at times looked virtually impossible to cover. With even the best cornerbacks needing additional help to try and contain Brown, it is opening up opportunities for fellow teammates like Markus Wheaton and rookie standout Martavis Bryant.
Add the fact that Brown has a should-be future Hall of Fame quarterback in Roethlisberger playing some of the best football of his career, and there is reason to think a season of 120 catches or more, and upwards of 2,000 yards is possible. That would leave little doubt that Brown should be mentioned with the very best in the NFL, and might even to make a case for MVP consideration.
With a big finish, he could make NFL history, and leave no doubt that he is indeed as good as it gets among his peers.
Maybe even the very best.
