The more you love football, the more you have to hate Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown’s absence from Sunday’s Steelers-Broncos game at Mile High.

Brown was leveled with criminal intent by linebacker Vontaze Burfict in the final seconds of Saturday night’s ultra-violent, ultra-bizarro, ultra-disturbing Bengals-Steelers playoff game. 

The Steelers announced Friday morning that Brown will miss Sunday’s game.

The Saturday night hit revealed the NFL, and football, at its worst. Brown had clearly missed his chance to catch a high-flying Ben Roethlisberger pass. Brown was helpless and defenseless.

And Burfict attacked him anyway.

Brown has not practiced all week while following the league’s concussion protocol. The four-time Pro Bowler tied for the NFL lead with 136 catches. Brown was second in yards receiving with 1,834 this season.

Burfict faces a richly deserved three-game suspension, but the suspension does nothing to ease the pain in Brown’s head or the anger in the minds of Steelers’ fans or the discomfort in the heart of anyone who enjoys football. Millions of us watched a vicious, inexcusable act of violence last Saturday night.

If you’re a genuine football fan, you wanted to see Brown take the field Sunday against the Broncos. I understand most of those who will read this post are Broncos fans. I also understand that nobody thinking straight wants to see one of the game’s best players laid low by unfiltered brutality.

I’m sorry to hear Brown will not be playing Sunday.

Really, I’m somewhere beyond sorry.