TAMPA, Florida – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will not feature great receiver Antonio Brown for Sunday’s NFC championship game for the Green Bay Packers, coach Bruce Arians announced Friday.
“I just talked to him this morning and it makes no sense to put him on the plane and fly up there and have him inflate more,” Arians said. “It wasn’t as close as we had hoped, so we’ll prepare it for the next one.”
Brown suffered a knee injury in the New Orleans Saints divisional playoff game and only played 27 snapshots. He hasn’t practiced this week.
Arians had described him as “day to day,” but Brown was unable to advance quickly enough in his healing.
The former All-Pro led the Buccaneers to receiving goals in the final five weeks of the regular season and had a 36-yard touchdown catch in their wildcard victory over Washington. Brown also has experience playing in two league championship games and in a Super Bowl, something few other players have on this list outside of Tom Brady.
Arians said he believes Scotty Miller and rookie Tyler Johnson will be able to step up. Johnson got a third key catch for 15 yards against the Saints. Miller had a 29-yard catch against New Orleans, but has been at the reception for some of Brady’s best deep-pass plays this season: a 33-yard touchdown take against the Las Vegas Raiders and a touchdown from 48 yards against the Minnesota Vikings.
“I think if you look at last week, when Scotty and Tyler made those huge plays in the fourth quarter, how much confidence the coaches and Tom have in those guys just because they won it. Their performances have won it. Arians said. “Antonio will be missed, but we have people capable of intervening.”
Arians said there is a chance he will play the Vita Vea defensive attack after practicing again this week for the first time since his ankle fractured in week 5.
“He looks really good. He’s been running for almost three weeks and yesterday he had a good practice and a good one today,” Arians said. “We haven’t made that determination yet, but we’ll see if we want to activate it or not. There’s a possibility.”