Pittsburgh Steelers fans have an unusual frustration with the team’s passing game this season. Clearly, Aaron Rodgers is playing near a desirable level. But, of course, not everything is perfect.
DK Metcalf isn’t putting up bold numbers consistently, finishing with just two catches for six yards against the Indianapolis Colts last week. Still, he leads the team in targets and every meaningful receiving statistic, so to a degree, he’s still holding up his position as the WR1.
The volume of production may not be where fans and analysts would expect or define as successful, but Metcalf assured that he and his fellow pass catchers aren’t worried about the outside perspective.
DK Metcalf says he's not frustrated with limited target share in the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense
“Y'all might get frustrated with that. We don't. We are just trying to win," Metcalf said on Thursday while talking with reporters.
“I think every receiver room that I've been in, once you put in the work and the time during the offseason, even during the week, training camp, like, you gotta respect the guys who are getting targets,” Metcalf said. “From the moment I got here, everybody’s worked their butts off, so everybody rightfully deserves a shot at the ball.”
There is but one football, and Rodgers has been spreading it out consistently. Seven players have at least 20 targets through eight games, but no one has more than Metcalf’s 47. In a way, Pittsburgh has foregone the need for a WR2, as nice as one would be, by putting the ball in the hands of as many different playmakers as possible to make opposing defenses respect everyone in the offense.
Of course, defenses are still keying in on Metcalf as the biggest threat. Metcalf expressed that he’s fine with defenses doing that, especially when his teammates can reap the benefits in a manner that leads to wins.
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Metcalf is currently on pace to have 100 targets this season, the lowest in his career since his rookie season. While he's had some frustrating penalties and other bad habits that carried over from his Seattle days, it's a welcome surprise that he's taking the limited target share in stride.
The Seahawks only had one losing record while he was there, but missed the playoffs three times. Winning cures all, though, and that seems to be the case for Metcalf in Pittsburgh this season, with the team standing at 6-3, fourth in the AFC standings.
And, to Metcalf’s point, if the rest of the pass-catchers in the offense prove effective enough, they’ll draw more respect from defenses that will open up opportunities for him as the top receiver. In the meantime, his status as a big-play threat is drawing enough attention to help the offense move the ball at least somewhat consistently compared to past seasons.
Either way, it’s a winning formula most weeks, and that’s enough to keep Steelers fans and Metcalf happy enough, for now.