After Sunday’s game against the Ravens, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger laughed when he was asked about wide receiver Antonio Brown’s sideline outburst before saying that things were “fine now” with the “very passionate” receiver.
Roethlisberger had a different answer on Tuesday. Roethlisberger was a guest on “The Cook and Poni Show” on 93.7 The Fan and said that Brown’s angry response to not getting the ball after he broke open in the middle of the field “is causing a distraction that none of us really need.”
Roethlisberger said that the placement of the Ravens’ safeties on the play called for him to read the right side of the field, away from Brown, and he threw an incomplete pass to Le’Veon Bell.
“He got upset because he was open, which I can understand, sometimes that happens,” Roethlisberger said. “I was disappointed because it’s not like I intentionally missed him, it’s not like I intentionally didn’t throw it to him. I was doing what my reads tell me to do, I don’t even want to say I made a mistake, because I was reading the side I was supposed to read. It’s just unfortunate that it happened, and it’s unfortunate that he acted and reacted that way.”
Roethlisberger said he told Brown that he wished he would have spoken to him rather than knocking over a Gatorade bucket because it “goes a lot further than throwing a temper tantrum.” He added that he’s not trying to call Brown out in his answer, although it may be tough for others to see things the same way given the venue Roethlisberger chose to address the matter.
