Pittsburgh Steelers fans aren't alone in their frustration with offensive coordinator Todd Haley's play-calling.
Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown confronted Haley on the sideline during the second half of Monday night's 20-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Brown "angrily complained" that not enough plays were called for him, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette reported Wednesday.
Bouchette also reported that Haley didn't appreciate Brown's actions, and the two still were "seething" about it Tuesday.
Brown was targeted just three times in the first half of Monday night's game and ended up with nine total targets, catching six passes for 57 yards. Fellow receiver Emmanuel Sanders was targeted a team-high 10 times and caught five passes for 78 yards. Jerricho Cotchery, the elder statesman of the group, was Ben Roethlisberger's most-targeted receiver in the first half, with five passes (all incompletions). Cotchery ended the game with four catches for 34 yards.
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Brown, the man to whom the Steelers gave a six-year, $43 million contract in 2012, also complained last year about not being targeted enough, Bouchette reported.
The Steelers are an absolute mess on the field right now. It's not surprising that the frustration boiled over to the sideline. Haley is going to remain under fire, especially if the passing offense continues to struggle behind a banged-up, shaky offensive line.
UPDATE: Brown shed light on the confrontation, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
"Being a hungry playmaker on the team, I did what any good player around should do," Brown said. "You talk to the person who controls the scheme of the game and see what he can do to get you involved, or see what you can do to get things going. ... I didn't think it was a big issue. We just have to find a way to win. I guess this is what happens when you lose."
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