The Steelers have not been a great deep-ball passing offense this year, even with deep threats like DK Metcalf. Aaron Rodgers, for example, is just 11-of-30 on passes 20-plus yards down the field. Nineteen other quarterbacks have more deep-pass completions, 24 have more yards. Yet he does rank fifth in deep-pass passing touchdowns, so he has made them count.
But the Steelers are simply not trying the deep-passing game often enough, Metcalf says. Rodgers is tied for the 20th-most deep-pass attempts at 30, so it’s not quite as dire as he makes it out to be. But the lack of proficiency isn’t helping that perception—or are his own numbers.
With the Seahawks last year, DK Metcalf had the most deep targets in the NFL. This year with the Steelers, he has the 18th-most deep targets with 14. And he has an astonishingly poor three receptions on them for just 89 yards and one touchdown. Yet Pro Football Focus gives him a grade of 84.1, crediting him with zero drops. He has only caught one of five targets deemed contested, but most of them have been off target. And contested targets have never been his strong suit, even if he is the most built wide receiver in the NFL.
Asked what he believes the Steelers need to do to get the deep-passing game on track, Metcalf said, “I think we’ve just got to keep trying them”, via the team’s website. “One a game is not gonna cut it. Once we start going deep a lot more, those deep throws will start opening up”.
The Steelers are, of course, attempting more than one deep pass per game, though Metcalf is averaging about one target. He averaged almost two targets per game last year, and realistically, he probably should here, too. That’s why they traded a second-round pick for him and gave him a massive contract.
While he does have six touchdowns this season, Metcalf’s numbers look underwhelming. He has just 42 catches on 70 targets for 573 yards. At just 52.1, he has the fewest yards per game of his career.
That’s obviously not all on him, as the Steelers’ passing game, deep or otherwise, hasn’t taken off this season. Rodgers has been proficient—on and off—in the red zone, but between the 20s not so much. But it’s fair to criticize, certainly, given the investments they’ve made. DK Metcalf is by far the standout investment, and they are not making the most of his talents.
And I’m sure he is frustrated—even this comment hints at some frustration. “One a game” is an obviously hyperbolically low number, but he may perceive it that way given his own numbers. Just three deep receptions all season for a player like DK Metcalf is malpractice on the Steelers’ part. If they weren’t going to better utilize him in the deep-passing game, then they wasted their money. Perhaps he’d rather be in Dallas right now, where George Pickens seems to be enjoying himself.
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