In the Week 18 season finale, the Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football, with the division title and a playoff spot on the line. Pittsburgh had a chance to clinch the division with a win over Cleveland in Week 17, but fell in a low-scoring affair.
A significant reason for the loss against the Browns was the absence of DK Metcalf, who served a suspension following an altercation in Detroit two weeks ago.
Why Was DK Metcalf Suspended?
Near the end of the second quarter during the Steelers’ Week 16 contest against the Lions, the CBS broadcast cut to a clip of Metcalf engaging with a fan on the sideline.
Metcalf was shown reaching over the wall railing, pulling at a Lions fan’s wig, and following through with what appeared to be a punch.
Play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz was quick to mention the potential consequences, and soon after, all of the NFL media were discussing it. The Steelers star was allowed to finish the game, recording four catches for 42 yards. Unfortunately for Metcalf, that’s how his regular season ended.
A day later, Adam Schefter announced that Metcalf would be suspended for both Week 17 against the Browns and Week 18 against the Ravens.
Schefter added that Metcalf would be eligible to return to the Steelers’ active roster on January 5, assuming Pittsburgh makes it to the postseason.
How Did the Steelers Fare Without Metcalf?
The AFC North division title and the #4 seed in the AFC playoff picture were a two-team race between the Steelers and the Ravens. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, a missed field goal from kicker Tyler Loop helped them secure a win in Week 18 to win the AFC North.
In the two games without Metcalf, the Steelers offense scored a total of just 32 points. Aaron Rodgers arguably had the worst game of his season against the Browns, but bounced back well against the Ravens.
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The Steelers will now face the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round. According to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric, Houston has the best defense in the league. As a result, Metcalf’s presence will be a huge boost for Pittsburgh.
Metcalf finished the regular season with 59 receptions for 850 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games, averaging 14.4 yards per reception. He is the Steelers’ best playmaker and will be required to have a big game against the Texans for his team to have any chance of winning.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ Stats and Insights for Wild Card Round
Team:Â Pittsburgh gave up a league-high 10.4 points per game in the fourth quarter. The next highest amount allowed by a playoff team was the Packers at 7.8 points per game.
Playoffs:Â Mike Tomlin has lost six straight playoff games since his last win in 2016. He is 8-11 in his postseason career and won the Super Bowl in the 2008 season.
QB: Aaron Rodgers’ best QBi score in the postseason is 87.2 (B+) against the Atlanta Falcons in the 2010 postseason. In his last postseason game in 2021, he registered a 71.9 (C-) in a loss to the 49ers.
OFF: Including playoffs, the Steelers have gone 69 straight games without scoring more than seven points. The last time Pittsburgh scored more than seven points was Week 1 in 2022. Pittsburgh has a -118 first-quarter point differential in that span.
DEF: In three postseason games since 2019, T.J. Watt has recorded two B- grades (ranked fourth in the league both weeks) and a D+ in three EDGEi rankings. The D+ was in last season’s Wild Card game against the Baltimore Ravens.
