Aaron Rodgers did not seem very happy after the Steelers’ loss last Sunday to the Bills. There were any number of reasons for him to feel that way. Pittsburgh only found the end zone once in the 26-7 defeat. The loss knocked the team out of the AFC North lead. Rodgers barely totaled over 100 yards while completing fewer than 50% of his passes. It isn’t surprising the future Hall of Fame quarterback was visibly displeased after the poor effort.
But he seemed particularly unhappy with the receiving room. Speaking to media after the tough loss Rodgers made some pointed comments about being on the same page as his wideouts. When asked how the offense can be in better sync after a disconnected effort against Buffalo, Rodgers said, “When there's film sessions, everybody shows up. When I check to a route, you do the right route.” A strong message to his teammates.
That kind of vocal leadership is something the Steelers have come to expect, and star wideout DK Metcalf expects to hear more of it this week before another big game against the Ravens.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated on behalf of his partnership with the Call of Duty Endowment for this year’s My Cause My Cleats, Metcalf said he did not see Rodgers’s comments on Sunday. But he fully expects his quarterback to be quite open with this thoughts about everybody being in sync as the Baltimore game draws near.
“I didn't see them,” Metcalf said when asked for his reaction to Rodgers’s postgame thoughts. “I'm not on social media, so, you know, anything (like that) we talk about during the week. I'm pretty sure he's going to bring light to it once the game plan is in. And he's probably going to be very vocal this week about us getting on the same page and about us running the right routes.”
Rodgers’s connection with Metcalf in particular is crucial to the Steelers’ success. When those two are on the same page everything else on the offense clicks into place. But it hasn’t happened often this year; Metcalf has only recorded one game of over 100 yards, back in Week 4. The wideout tells SI building chemistry with Rodgers is ongoing.
“It’s just a continual process whether that be verbal or on the field,” Metcalf said. “Whether he's signaling me something or if I got a question about a route or a concept off the field or if I'm thinking about something late at night after practice or my point of view about something. I think it's just a steady stream of communication throughout the whole week so we all get on the same page. Because I might see something that he doesn't see and vice versa.”
With the Steelers sitting at 6-6 entering Week 14, the margin for error is razor-thin. This week’s contest against the rival Ravens could very well decide who wins the division. Rodgers and the receiving room must be on the same page for Pittsburgh to have a shot. Metcalf expects Rodgers to make that clear in the coming days.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as DK Metcalf Says Aaron Rodgers Will Be ‘Very Vocal’ With Receivers After Last Steelers’ Loss.
