Getty Images

Before the Steelers played their first playoff game against the Bengals, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said that wide receiver Martavis Bryant needed to “toughen up” and “find ways to do everything you can” to help the team win games.

Bryant accepted the challenge verbally and then did all he could for two games to keep the Steelers’ season alive. He made a remarkable touchdown catch in the win over Cincinnati and had 194 yards of total offense for Pittsburgh in the loss to Denver last Sunday.

With the response to challenge No. 1 a positive one, Roethlisberger decided to issue another one on Tuesday.

“Now let’s see what level you step to next,” Roethlisberger said on 93.7 The Fan, via ESPN.com. “I’m already talking to him about the offseason, what he needs to do to take that next step. I told him, this offseason, you need to become the best in the world.”

That’s a tall order for one offseason, especially when there are receivers like Antonio Brown occupying the top spaces on the list of best in the world. The nice thing for Roethlisberger and the Steelers is that they have both Bryant and Brown, so anything close to that kind of growth from Bryant would leave them with as much firepower as anyone in the league.