Martavis Bryant poised for breakout game versus the Bengals
Martavis Bryant is poised for a breakout game this season, it’s inevitable. The wide receiver is overflowing with talent and he has been on the brink of greatness. I predict that this breakout game comes this week versus the Bengals.
I’m not predicting this solely on gut and him reportedly complaining about not being utilized enough, I’m basing this prediction on how the Steelers have performed versus the Bengals in recent years.
If you take a look at some of the most recent matchups versus the Bengals, you can see some trends. The Bengals have had some success shutting down Antonio Brown, so Ben has a tendency to spread the ball out. Because of this, the secondary receivers tend to have breakout games, such as Eli Rogers or Heath Miller.
So far in 2017 we’ve seen Ben primarily target Antonio Brown and not spread the love much, but based on past games, this week could be different.
Let’s take a look some of the most recent matchups between these rival teams.
Week 15 – 2016
When these teams faced on 12/18/16 it wasn’t Antonio Brown who led this team in receiving, but Eli Rogers and Ladarius Green. Rogers led with five receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown, trailed by Green’s five receptions for 72 yards. Brown finished the game with a mere three receptions for 58 yards. Seven players ended the day with at least one reception.
Week 2 – 2016
On this particular matchup, it was the late (but not great) Sammie Coates who led the team with 97 receiving yards via two catches. Deangelo Williams tied with Brown for four receptions and nearly equaled in receiving yards (39/38). Nine different players caught the ball that day.
Playoffs – 2016
Among these five games, this playoff matchup is on par the most with what we’ve seen in 2017. Antonio Brown led the team with seven receptions for 119 yards and Ben only threw passes to five different players. The rest of the receivers were a bit quiet, with Bryant mustering a mere five receptions for 29 yards. It was actually Fitzgerald Toussaint who was the number two receiver with four catches for 60 yards. This game shows
Week 15 – 2015
On this day, Brown led in receiving yards, but not by much. He ended the day with 87 yards, trailed closely by Heath Miller with 66 and Markus Wheaton with 65. It was Miller who led in receptions, catching ten balls compared to Brown’s seven. On this day Martavis Bryant tied Brown with seven catches, but only gained 49 yards.
Week 8 – 2015
On this November day, the Steelers didn’t get the W, but one veteran had a career day. Heath Miller led the squad with ten receptions for 105 yard. Brown only ended the day with six receptions for 47 yards but managed to score a touchdown. Bryant had a solid showing, catching four balls for 49 yards. Ben also completed passes to seven different players.
So what does all this mean?
While this is only a small sample size, and nothing is absolute, the Bengals have had much success in forcing the Steelers to adjust their game plan. This means rather than funneling the passing attack through Antonio Brown, spreading the ball around.
If the Bengals plan their defense around stopping Antonio Brown and even Le’Veon Bell, then this opens an opportunity for somebody to step up. I believe Martavis Bryant will be the person to do it.
Bryant has flashed his potential in 2017, but his yet to truly break out. We’ve seen him make big catches over the middle, gain yards on screen passes through sheer effort, and get open deep. He’s teased us with his abilities.
With the potential opportunity and volume of targets, Bryant is poised explode versus the Bengals and finally have his breakout game.
