Franco Harris first coined the term "Steelers Wing" during his Hall of Fame induction speech in 1990 and it turned out to be even more prophetic than he imagined. Since the induction of Joe Greene, no team can rival the magnitude of players, coaches, and contributors who have played a major role in Pittsburgh Steelers lore who have joined the hallowed ranks of NFL legends now immortalized in Canton.
The question to Steeler Nation of who will be next has been buzzing and, in this installment, we will examine the status of the often debated topic: Which WR was better between Hines Ward an Antonio Brown?
Hines Ward
Ward's case for the Hall of Fame has proven to be a challenging one so far. The “Steeler Fatigue” bias is very real and in 5 years, he has never been one of the 15 finalists. When objectively evaluating by era, Ward has two main competitors with similar cases and production (Reggie Wayne and Tory Holt) who have both twice been finalists. Statistically, Ward has the numbers to merit consideration, with a resume that includes being a 4x Pro Bowler, 3x All-Pro, 2x-Super Bowl Champion and Super Bowl XL MVP. An additional problem is the backlog at WR is growing with Andre Johnson, Steve Smith Sr., and Anquan Boldin (all with more receptions and yards) having their first year of eligibility in 2022.
Why should Ward be in the Hall of Fame: Ward was the absolute best blocking WR in the NFL, ever. Ward’s blocking helped the Steelers rush for nearly 129 yards per game from 1998-2011 - only 2 teams averaged more yards rushing per game. His downfield blocking was so physical, they implemented and named a rule after him. He put the team first and brought the intangibles. He was only the 8th WR to attain 1,000 receptions, but it was his performance when it counted that matters. Ward had 244 receiving yards in his three Super Bowl appearances, seventh-most ever in the Super Bowl – despite being limited by a sprain to his right knee in Super Bowl XLIII. In addition to winning Super Bowl XL MVP, he retired 2nd only to Jerry Rice in playoff receptions (88) and yards (1,181) in addition to 10 TDs.
si.vault.com
Why Ward won’t make the Hall of Fame: If Ward is snubbed, one will have to question how much of it will come to an anti-Steelers bias vs. reality perception. Ward’s most productive years statistically, did not happen with Ben Roethlisberger at QB, but when Tommy Maddox was under center. From 2004-2010, the Steelers run-to-pass ratio was 3,560 rushes/3,169 passes. Although he finished his career with six 1,000-yard seasons, it easily could have been 8 (finishing 2005/2006 with 975 yards). The Steelers won frequently during those years and Ward was an integral part of the Steelers’ success, but will that success translate to the voters appreciation that Hines Ward was the primary WR – 25% of the passing offense – on a team that reached the Super Bowl 3x and won it twice?
Precedents: Ward was the key WR for a 2x Super Bowl Champion (a 3rd would really have helped), and fits into the category of being consistently the best WR on championship level teams like Art Monk and Andre Reed.
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Antonio Brown
From 2013-2018, Antonio Brown was setting a pace at WR that rivaled Jerry Rice and it seemed like nothing could slow him down. He broke the 100 catch/1,000-yard benchmark 6 consecutive years, twice leading the NFL in yards and twice leading in receptions. Roethlisberger led the NFL in passing yards twice as the offense became far more about the passing game than earlier in Big Ben’s career. In the 8 seasons from 2011-2018, the Steelers had a run-to-pass ratio of 3,242 rushes/4,776 passes. 10 years after entering the league, in 2014, Roethlisberger completed more passes (408) than he attempted in 2004 (295). The Roethlisberger/Brown duo combined for 78 TDs (6th best all-time) and bested the Roethlisberger/Ward combo of 46 TDs. Brown was unstoppable, that is, until he came off the rails and the entitlement issues that caused him to go AWOL were exposed. The Brown divorce from Pittsburgh was ugly as he quit on the team in 2018 and was triggered by not winning the team MVP.
nytimes.com
Why Brown should be in the Hall of Fame: Despite his bizarre behavior, the public loves the flashy stats, and the big plays and Brown had a load of them. Like it or not, on paper, Antonio Brown has the numbers and now he has a Super Bowl (albeit as a role player). If his reputation is repaired enough to get the benefit of the voters, he’ll be the least celebrated Steeler in the Hall and not part of the “Steelers Wing.”
Why Brown won’t make the Hall of Fame: If Hines Ward’s numbers aren’t good enough to put him in right now, Brown may not be able to surpass them enough to merit induction. His off-the-field antics cost him 2 years of the prime of his career and as he enters 2021 at 33-years old, he is entering the twilight years of his career and a time when most WRs see their production decline. And who is to say where the benchmark is when Brown is eligible. His final numbers could really be lost in the pack.
Precedents: Brown fits the category of Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, guys with outstanding numbers that were valued more over their history of being an off the field disruption with multiple teams.
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Prediction - I would give Hines Ward a 75% chance of being inducted, but he could very easily be passed over similar to the likes of Cliff Branch. On the other hand, I just can't get past the voters love of statistics and think if one of the two will make it, it's going to be Antonio Brown. That would be a crime, as it really emphasizes the individual rewards over the team-first/championship mentality.
Who was better, Hines Ward or Antonio Brown? Should one, both, or neither get inducted? Share your thoughts in comment section below.
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