It's exactly the kind of situation they were trying to avoid.
In the aftermath of his team's emotional 18-16 win on the road against the Chiefs in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs this past Sunday night, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin urged his team to keep a low profile as it prepared to face the Patriots in the conference title game.
His expletive-laden appeal is the type of locker room address you'd expect from the coach of a wild-card squad as it gets ready to take on the league's top overall seed for a shot in the Super Bowl. However, unbeknownst to him, wide receiver Antonio Brown, arguably the team's best player, broadcasted the entire speech, during which Tomlin used choice words to describe his team's next opponent, on Facebook Live.
Now, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has found himself defending the franchise after New England wideout Julian Edelman took a shot at the Steelers franchise, saying, "That's how that team is ran," according to WEEI.
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Big Ben took time out of his busy schedule to defend the label that pays him.
“I don’t think I need to speak much,” Roethlisberger told NBC Sports. “We’ve got our trophies out there. I’ve got owners that I think are the best in the business."
Brown's already apologized and he likely could be fined for violating the league's social media policy (players are restricted from posting 90 minutes before and after games). Of course, all will be forgiven if he racks up 100 yards or more receiving as he as in each of Pittsburgh's postseason wins, and the Steelers pull of the upset in Foxboro, Mass., but the Patriots are the last team you want to provide with bulletin board material, and he's undoubtedly done that.