Things did not go according to plan for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8. After suffering a shocking upset defeat at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7, the Steelers were hoping to get back on track against the Green Bay Packers. Instead, they suffered their second-straight loss, with the final score coming in at 35-25.
Tempers flared throughout this game, and unsurprisingly, star wide receiver DK Metcalf found himself mixing it up with the Packers’ defense. Along the way, Metcalf was involved in a controversial encounter with Green Bay linebacker Quay Walker, and on Saturday, it was announced that he has been punished by the NFL for his actions.
DK Metcalf Fined for Quay Walker Encounter
Over the offseason, Pittsburgh swung a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks to bring Metcalf to town. Through seven games, Metcalf has clearly been quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target in the passing game, as he’s got 27 catches for 461 yards and five scores. The problem is that the team doesn’t have much depth at wide receiver behind him, which allows opposing defenses to give Metcalf more attention.
While the Steelers are 4-3, it hasn’t always been easy for them to move the ball on offense. There are admittedly quite a few new faces in town, so it’s going to take some time for everyone to get on the same page. But several times against the Packers, those tempers boiled over, and it resulted in Metcalf picking up a costly penalty in the fourth quarter.
On 2nd & 7 with just over 10 minutes left in the game, Jaylen Warren picked up five yards on a run, but it was quickly wiped out after Metcalf appeared to attempt to stick his hand into Walker’s helmet and poke his eye. Pittsburgh was pushed back 15 yards, setting up a 3rd & 17 that they did not convert. Not only did Metcalf’s actions hurt his team, but they also cost him a pretty penny, as it was revealed on Saturday that he was fined $12,172 for this encounter.
“The NFL fined Steelers WR DK Metcalf $12,172 for unsportsmanlike conduct — this run-in with Packers LB Quay Walker last week,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network shared in a post on X.
DK Metcalf, Steelers Looking to Get Back in the Win Column in Week 9
GettyDK Metcalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers catches a pass against the Green Bay Packers.
Metcalf’s penalty was costly in multiple ways, as it ended up stalling a promising drive in a game Pittsburgh lost. Considering how much the Steelers gave up to get Metcalf, he can’t afford to be making mistakes like this one on a regular basis. Pittsburgh needs every win it can get right now, and foolish plays like this have hampered the team over the past two weeks.
The Steelers will be intent on getting back in the win column in Week 9, but that’s going to be easier said than done, because they have a matchup with the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts on their hands. If Pittsburgh does stuff like this against Indianapolis, it will have no shot of winning. Kickoff for this big game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, and all eyes will be on Metcalf to see if he can put together a bounce-back performance for his new team.
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