FOXBORO, Mass. — Leaving a wide receiver wide open in the end zone usually isn’t the formula for success, as the Pittsburgh Steelers found out Sunday night.
During the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady found wide receiver Chris Hogan all alone for the game’s first touchdown.
The score was the result of some excellent blocking up front — Brady had more than five seconds to throw — and a major defensive breakdown by the Steelers. Hogan did not have a defender within 10 yards of him when his quarterback released the ball.
Hogan, who was questionable to play in the game with a thigh injury, was Brady’s favorite target during the 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive. The two hooked up four times for 57 yards, including a 26-yard pickup up the left seam.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
