Already a concern for any defense, Brown remains the big focus for Cincinnati’s special teams this week, as the Bengals (6-0) look to further extend their lead in the AFC North at Pittsburgh (4-3) on Sunday. A win would give the Bengals a 3 1/2-game cushion in the division.
“He’s a guy that’s going to expose you if you have a bad kick,” said Huber, who has helped flipped field position in the Bengals’ favor this season while averaging 43.1 yards per punt. “He’s going to take advantage of that, so you just have to be prepared and have the best punt possible.
“… If his team breaks down, he can still make something happen, so it takes a lot on us as a punt-coverage team to stay focused the entire play until we hear the last whistle because he’s going to keep fighting until he’s down on the ground or out of bounds or whatever happens.”
Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons said directional punting always is key, but especially with an athlete like Brown on the field.
Theoretically, targeting punts toward the sidelines gives Huber’s teammates the best chance to make a play on Brown, who averages 8.9 yards per return but awaits his first score on special teams this season.
“He’s got confidence right now,” Simmons said. “He’s got us a couple times. Certainly, we have to approach him different. We have to do a better job than we’ve done against him historically. We have to be smart about giving him opportunities to handle the ball.”
In a matchup that traditionally has come down to the fourth quarter, Huber said there is even more pressure to perfect his punts. A blocked punt or return for a touchdown can “completely change the game,” he said, also noting a handful of college and pro games recently have been decided on a punt.
According to Simmons, Brown has enjoyed most of his success when punts have been down the middle, but the kick hasn’t been the only mistake. On Brown’s touchdown return against the Bengals last year, he escaped a tackle and reversed the field for a 71-yard score.
Two years ago, it was a 67-yard return sealed after Huber was knocked down on a block that broke his jaw.
“The plays that he’s made against us we had guys overplay, we had guys out of position trying to do something for somebody else instead of just doing their own job,” Simmons said.
The Steelers recognize that special teams is an area that could give them an edge against a Bengals squad that Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said seems to have “all the pieces in place.”
“We’re working hard this week to put together a winning formula, and we acknowledge that we have to do whatever it takes in order to secure victory,” Tomlin said. “That’s a legitimate phase of the game for us, and hopefully we can put together a good enough plan and execute it well enough it can help us.”
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