The reigning team MVP is down. Now, other players have to step up.
All the way down through a chain reaction.
With Steelers WR Antonio Brown unlikely to play Monday night against Kansas City due to a left ankle sprain, WR Emmanuel Sanders moves into a starting role and also will likely be the team's top kick- and punt-returner (RB Chris Rainey also is probably not going to play against the Chiefs due to a rib injury).
Additionally, a vastly increased role is on tap for WR Jerricho Cotchery, the regular No. 4 WR who now is bumped up into a featured spot during the Steelers' various three-wide-receiver sets.
Taking Cotchery's role apparently will be WR David Gilreath (Sanders told the media the team's plan was to promote Gilreath from the practice squad).
Finally, sliding in at the very bottom of the depth chart at WR is Derek Moye. Moye, who is from about 45 minutes west of the city in Rochester and played at Penn State, was signed to the practice squad Wednesday.
"Even without Antonio, we know we have the guys here who can get the job done," Cotchery said.
Cotchery signed a one-year deal with the Steelers during training camp last season after requesting a release from the New York Jets when his role was decreased (think the WR-depleted Jets wouldn't love to have him now?). He had offers in the offseason to go elsewhere, too -- presumably some in which he would be higher on the depth chart than the No. 4 spot in Pittsburgh.
"This is the situation I chose to be in," Cotchery said Wednesday. "I enjoy being in this environment."
Cotchery had only four catches through seven games this season. Then, Brown got hurt against the Giants on Sunday. Playing in the same Jersey swamp he called home for seven seasons, Cotchery doubled his season reception total and had 50 receiving yards the rest of the game.
Sanders, meanwhile, nearly doubled his career punt-return yardage against the Giants after Brown and Rainey went down. He had a 63-yard return in the fourth quarter of Pittsburgh's comeback win.
"I didn't think that opportunity was going to come, but it was definitely exciting," Sanders said. "Antonio went down and Chris Rainey went down, and I'm looking at myself -- 'I'm the third punt-returner; looks like I'm about to return some punts.' I was happy about the situation. It was a crucial point in the game and I was just happy to make a play for my team."
He'll likely hold the primary kick- and punt-returning role again against the Chiefs ... unless Gilreath does. Gilreath, who would be making his NFL debut, earned Big Ten records for career kickoff returns (135) and career kickoff return yards (3,025) while playing at Wisconsin from 2007-10. He also ranks fifth all-time at Wisconsin with 721 punt-return yards.
Gilreath was the best of a mediocre bunch throughout training camp in what was an interesting competition for what might have been the No. 4 receiver's job (remember, WR Mike Wallace held out all through camp).
As it stands, three of the eight players on the Steelers' practice squad are wide receivers (rookie WR Toney Clemons joins Gilreath and Moye). Moye was in training camp with the New Orleans Saints.
"I'm a tall receiver (6-5); I don't characterize myself as being fast, but I like to go up and get the ball," Moye said. "Hopefully, I can show up and do that and show what I can do."
To make room for the Moye on the practice squad, the Steelers cut TE Jamie McCoy.
Follow Steelers reporter Chris Adamski on Twitter @CBSSteelers and @BuzzsawPGH.