DK Metcalf was brought in to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ clear No. 1 wideout, a $33 million-per-year investment meant to elevate a pedestrian passing attack. But through two games, the returns haven’t matched the price—thanks partly to his own drops and partly to the puzzling way the Steelers have used him.
Former Steelers OL Trai Essex is more concerned with the way the team has used him over the first three weeks of the season.
“We’re not utilizing the speed that we have. We’re definitely not using DK like we supposed to,” Essex said on X Spaces after the Steelers’ 21-14 win over the Patriots. “We’re using him for screens and then just deep balls? And he’s so much more than that.”
Russell Wilson’s offense became too predictable last season because he was only capable of checkdowns or moon balls. Somehow the Aaron Rodgers version of this offense is worse. The Steelers still do plenty of screens and checkdowns at or near the line of scrimmage, but they aren’t attempting or landing many deep balls. And the slants and intermediate game that looked alive and well throughout training camp is nowhere to be seen on Sundays.
Metcalf has 10 receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns through three games, and the vast majority of those yards have come after the catch on short screen passes near the line of scrimmage. To his credit, he’s made big plays in the red zone in back-to-back weeks, but his production resembles one great game from a top WR, not three.
Here’s Metcalf’s impressive touchdown catch today, complete with a 50-50 catch and a toe drag.
Over 17 games, Metcalf is on pace for 56.7 receptions, 765 yards, and 11.3 TDs. It’s great that he’s been a weapon in the red zone, and he’s certainly managed to create yards on his own after the catch, but not much else is working.
It’s not as if Calvin Austin III or the tight ends are feasting while Metcalf is double covered, either. The passing-game woes extend to the whole offense.
“Obviously Calvin also knows how to get open,” Essex said. “So as a whole, this offense just looks disjointed. It looks like we’re always trying to find one play to break open versus finding an identity.”
The Week 1 win over the New York Jets was schemed up nicely by Arthur Smith, but it hasn’t looked pretty since then. Aaron Rodgers took some of the blame today after the Steelers improved to 2-1 and said he must play better.
At some point they need to open up the offense to utilize intermediate routes and the middle of the field more. They didn’t trade a second-round pick and pay Metcalf $33 million per season to be a side character in this offense.
