Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver Antonio Brown is out injured for at least the final two weeks of the regular season.
Brown suffered a partially torn calf muscle in Pittsburgh's 27-24 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday but, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the injury does not require surgery, meaning Brown could be set to return in the playoffs.
Brown suffered the injury early in the second quarter the game against New England and was initially listed by the team as questionable to return, before being taken to the hospital.
Brown had caught two passes for 24 yards before he suffered the injury and, after their defeat, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Brown's absence definitely affected Pittsburgh's game plan.
"It changes. A.B. is significant," Tomlin told reporters. "But I thought the guys did a nice job of adjusting and making plays largely. You lose somebody like A.B. and there's an adjustment."
Down the stretch of Pittsburgh's nail-biting defeat, Ben Roethlisberger went to Martavis Bryant and JuJu Smith-Schuster in the clutch moments in which Brown had previously thrived. The game was lost on the final play, with Roethlisberger's interception intended for Eli Rogers.