Written by Jenny Vrentras at MMQB.com
Bill Belichick has an axiom that he often invokes in team meetings. It’s called the Category of What We Are Not Looking For. The Patriots’ coach may show his players video of another team botching a play, such as a mishandled spike in a two-minute situation. Or he may bring up something that happened outside the white lines that created a distraction.
Antonio Brown’s infamous Facebook live video from Sunday night would be a prime candidate. Perhaps Belichick will make mention of it this week while gaining the added benefit of bulletin board material.
The video, since deleted off the receiver’s Facebook page but preserved in digital amber on the unforgiving Internet, was amusing and head-shaking. There was Brown, using his phone to broadcast the genuine scene inside the visitors’ locker room moments after his Steelers earned a trip to the AFC Championship Game with an 18-16 win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The team gathered for a postgame prayer, and then coach Mike Tomlin began addressing the team—unknowingly for the world to see.
The way Tomlin came across in that unauthorized video—gruff, feisty, ticked off that the Patriots had a 36-hour advantage in recovery and preparation—is what makes him an excellent coach. And so was his message of laying low in the coming days. “Let’s say very little moving forward,” Tomlin told his players. “Let’s start our preparations. We spotted those a——– a day and a half. They played yesterday. Our game got moved to tonight. We gonna touch down at 4 o’clock in the f—— morning. So be it. We’ll be ready for their a—-.”
Oblivious, Brown kept grinning into the camera, smoothing out his hairdo and making his trademark “call God” gesture. When a second voice in the Steelers’ locker room, later identified as left guard Ramon Foster, added, “Keep cool on social media,” running back Le’Veon Bell looked back at Brown and laughed.
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