Antonio Brown Reportedly Confronted Todd Haley During Steelers' Loss to Bengals

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was clearly unhappy with his team’s offensive performance during a 20-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. 

According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Brown angrily confronted offensive coordinator Todd Haley in the second half of the game and complained about the limited number of pass plays being called for him.

While heated arguments tend to arise in the midst of a disappointing loss to a divisional rival and then dissipate, that’s apparently not the case in this situation. Bouchette’s sources noted the two parties were both still “seething” over the incident as of Tuesday.

Although the reaction on the sideline was said to noticeable, no known footage exists of the exchange. It’s apparently not the first time Brown has complained about the amount of balls thrown his way, with a similar exchange said to have happened last season.

Perhaps the outburst worked, as Brown received six second-half targets—compared to three in the first two quarters—and hauled in a team-high six receptions for 57 yards, although he failed to score a touchdown.

Brown’s going to need to play even better if the Steelers are going to turn things around in 2013, and he’s definitely going to need to improve his attitude in order for that to happen.

Following the team's loss, Teresa Varley of Steelers.com passed along a statement from head coach Mike Tomlin discussing the importance of productivity and channeling frustration:

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“We are in this thing to win,” said Tomlin. “We didn’t win (Monday) night. 

“We will continue to work and improve. That’s just where we are right now. It’s a frustrating thing but frustration is a very normal emotion. We can’t let that frustration prevent us from moving forward and getting ready to attack this week’s challenge.”

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The fourth-year veteran out of Central Michigan recently signed a six-year, $43 million contract to be the franchise’s top receiver after the departure of Mike Wallace. If he’s going to live up to that deal, his production will have to increase. Brown has just 11 catches for 128 yards and zero touchdowns on the year thus far.

Pittsburgh is getting set to play the Chicago Bears in Week 3 on a short rest. The team desperately needs Brown, Haley and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to be on the same page by the time the Sunday Night Football contest kicks off.