The Steelers’ Antonio Brown Kicks Browns Punter In the Face–Seriously

September 10, 2014
|In NFL
|By Paul Marin
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I wonder if head coach Mike Tomlin is even upset over a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty after potentially the best NFL highlight play of all time. If you didn’t see it, you wouldn’t believe it–Antonio Brown kicks a punter in the face. The part-time punt returner went full-on Mortal Kombat to Spencer Lanning of the Cleveland Browns during a punt return in the Steelers opening week victory of the Browns.  The penalty didn’t hurt the Pittsburgh offense, though. Le’Veon Bell broke a 38-yard touchdown run two plays later to put the Steelers up 24-3. While the Browns’ second-half rally made the game interesting, the black and yellow held on for their first win of the season.

When asked why he did it, Brown (jokingly) responded to F&TS, “I finished up a 48-hour session of Marvel v. Capcom on Saturday night and I wanted to use my best move during a live game.” The Internet exploded within minutes after the play. The kick seen around the world was trending on Twitter for hours.

Reactions to the Kick

Brown was also quoted saying: “It was weird, as I was running towards the Browns punter, I had a voice in my head say, FINISH HIM.” F&TS received a statement from Eddie Murphy, the former SNL cast member, and actor who played Hakeem in “Coming to America,” that read: “IN THE FACE!” Browns punter Lanning responded to the play on Twitter, saying “Wait, wait, wait…When did this happen?!”

Unfortunately for Brown, while NFL fans loved it when Antonio Brown kicks a punter, it will cost him over $8,000. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported the news of the fine.

Game Notes

Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger passed for 365 yards and a touchdown. Running back Le’Veon Bell had 197 total yards and a score while Antonio Brown caught five passes for 116 yards with a touchdown when he wasn’t assaulting kickers. Roethlisberger hit wide receiver, Markus Wheaton, twice during a last-gasp drive to set up Shaun Suisham‘s 41-yard field goal as the Steelers survived 30-27.

Cleveland’s second-half rally came without receiver Josh Gordon (suspension), running back Ben Tate, who left in the second quarter with a knee injury, and tight end Jordan Cameron (shoulder). It also came without Johnny Manziel. He spent his NFL debut in a baseball cap watching Hoyer nearly engineer one of the unlikeliest upsets since the franchise’s reincarnation in 1999.

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