The Facts: Brown is no longer keepin' it 100. He keeps it somewhere between 130 and 150, depending on the year. Brown now owns two of the NFL's four highest reception totals in a single season. After his 136-catch campaign in 2015, Brown has one player left to catch -- Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, the former Indianapolis Colts star who went for 143 receptions in 2002. After 14 years, Harrison might soon be in second place. Indeed, ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler contends there are a few factors that could slide Brown past Harrison and even past -- wait for it -- the 150-catch mark.
Diehards Line:
Fowler added: "This isn't hyperbole. It's not really a prediction. It's an acknowledgement that the game's best receiver is in his prime (Brown turns 28 in July), has astounding chemistry with one of the game's best quarterbacks (Ben Roethlisberger) and has continually surpassed expectations over the past three years. ..." And the truth is, since catching 110 passes in 2013, Brown has increased his reception total by an average of 11.3 percent the past two seasons. That's 129 in 2014 (17 percent over the previous year) and 136 last year (5.4 percent). A 10.3 percent increase would get Brown to 150 this year. Brown would likely need Ben Roethlisberger on the field for the full season. In 12 games together last season, Big Ben and Brown connected 9.91 times per week. That's 158.7 over a full season. Yes, 150 is a reach. But not outside the realm of possibility.