Steelers lose MVP candidate Antonio Brown until playoffs with a partially torn calf
Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown  grabs  his  calf in the end zone. (Keith Srakocic / Associated Press)
The injury  initially  seemed little different from any garden-variety injury suffered by an NFL player in the course of the game.  Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown  limped off the field and was listed as questionable to return.
What happened next was anything but ordinary. Not long after  he  was hurt early in the second quarter of the loss to the New England Patriots   Brown  was whisked away  taken to a hospital  where  he  was diagnosed with a partially torn calf muscle  according to multiple outlets. For a Steelers team still reeling from the injury to linebacker Ryan Shazier  it was easy to think the worst. But  Brown  will not require surgery and reportedly will be ready for the playoffs.
“Even in adversity I can’t help but feel blessed  ” Brown  tweeted Monday. “Thanks to everyone who reached out. This is a minor setback for me  but not this team. The goal is still the same and I’m confident that we can and will achieve it. We may not have won the game yesterday  but this TEAM made a statement.”
 Brown  is in the midst of a season that finds  him  in the conversation for the NFL MVP award  a rarity for a wide receiver  and was helped off the field as fans chanted “M-V-P!” after  he  and Duron Harmon and Eric Rowe tangled and fell while  Brown  was trying to catch a pass in the end zone.  He  was taken into the locker room for an examination and  by halftime  was on  his  way to a hospital.
 Brown  had only two receptions for 24 yards  but leads the NFL in catches with 101 and receiving yards with 1 533. With  Brown  out  rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster  Martavis Bryant and Eli Rogers will assume  Brown ’s duties. On Sunday night  Rogers was Ben Roethlisberger’s intended target on the last play of Pittsburgh’s final drive  when Roethlisberger was intercepted in the Steelers’ loss.
 Brown  hasn’t missed a regular-season game in more than five years.
[TGT]grabs  [TGT]  calf in the end zone. (Keith Srakocic / Associated Press)
The injury  initially  seemed little different from any garden-variety injury suffered by an NFL player in the course of the game.  [TGT]limped off the field and was listed as questionable to return.
What happened next was anything but ordinary. Not long after  [TGT]  was hurt early in the second quarter of the loss to the New England Patriots   Brown  was whisked away  taken to a hospital  where  he  was diagnosed with a partially torn calf muscle  according to multiple outlets. For a Steelers team still reeling from the injury to linebacker Ryan Shazier  it was easy to think the worst. But  [TGT]will not require surgery and reportedly will be ready for the playoffs.
“Even in adversity I can’t help but feel blessed  ” [TGT]tweeted Monday. “Thanks to everyone who reached out. This is a minor setback for me  but not this team. The goal is still the same and I’m confident that we can and will achieve it. We may not have won the game yesterday  but this TEAM made a statement.”
 Brown  is in the midst of a season that finds  him  in the conversation for the NFL MVP award  a rarity for a wide receiver  and was helped off the field as fans chanted “M-V-P!” after  he  and Duron Harmon and Eric Rowe tangled and fell while  [TGT]was trying to catch a pass in the end zone.  [TGT]  was taken into the locker room for an examination and  by halftime  was on  [TGT]  way to a hospital.
 [TGT]had only two receptions for 24 yards  but leads the NFL in catches with 101 and receiving yards with 1 533. With  [TGT]out  rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster  Martavis Bryant and Eli Rogers will assume  [TGT]. On Sunday night  Rogers was Ben Roethlisberger’s intended target on the last play of Pittsburgh’s final drive  when Roethlisberger was intercepted in the Steelers’ loss.
 [TGT] missed a regular-season game in more than five years.