It took one game for Steelers to get the full DK Metcalf experience

Former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf has a bit of momentum riding into Week 2 to face his former team. His Pittsburgh Steelers picked up the win in a surprising shootout with the New York Jets while rediscovering their passing game thanks to 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers.

Metcalf’s first outing with his new team had nearly every aspect Seahawks fans would have expected, save for a poorly-timed penalty. He was the team’s leading receiver, yet his impact seemed minimal overall against the Jets’ defense.

Metcalf picked up 83 yards on four catches from seven targets in his debut with the black and gold. While that’s a solid statsheet for Metcalf, the Steelers still got the full DK Metcalf experience in his debut.

Pittsburgh saw the highs and lows that defined DK Metcalf with the Seahawks

Pittsburgh’s offense was rather efficient through the air, and a lot of that had to do with Metcalf. He had receptions of 23, 31, 18, and 11 yards, so each of his receptions marked a significant play for Pittsburgh. 

However, he also struggled with drops. He dropped his first target on a short pass over the middle despite having a step on Sauce Gardner, and he dropped another later in the game with Gardner in coverage. The third miss between Rodgers and Metcalf was on the quarterback, who tried to squeeze in a slant route to Metcalf, but it was just behind the receiver, allowing Gardner the chance to bat it away.

Metcalf struggled against Gardner. The shutdown corner lined up across from Metcalf 30 times and allowed just one catch for 11 yards to big No. 4. But even that play was one of the biggest fluke receptions of Week 1.

But that’s the Metcalf experience, as Seahawks fans know all too well. Pittsburgh had to put Metcalf in space to get much out of him because of his inconsistencies on an island with a great cornerback. Metcalf’s biggest play came on a screen pass where he had excellent blocking ahead of him, allowing him to turn on the jets and get upfield.

Metcalf still had a strong debut for the black and gold and will look to do even more against the Seahawks next week in Pittsburgh. After the rough performance from Riq Woolen in Week 1, Metcalf may be licking his chops heading into the revenge game.

Still, Metcalf's abysmal contested catch rate, 36.6% last year, shone through as a persistent problem in his game. Tight coverage and extra attention are already the standard for Metcalf, but coach Mike Macdonald will need to find ways to slow him down when Pittsburgh crafts something up to make sure Metcalf has a chance to do something with the ball in his hands quickly.