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Untuk Win-Now Steelers, koneksi Metcalf Aaron Rodgers-DK berarti segalanya

The usually straight-faced Mike Tomlin couldn’t help but crack a smile when talking about quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver DK Metcalf connecting for a touchdown on Day 2 of training camp. But that’s what the stoic Steelers coach expects to happen, so no “pep rally” would be thrown, he joked. 

“That’s what I envisioned all summer,” Tomlin said last week. 

Will it manifest enough come fall, though? That’s the big question for the win-now Steelers, who’ve revamped their roster with some big-name, past-their-prime stars (Rodgers, Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay). Their defense is poised to be relatively good, as it’s typically been under Tomlin. 

But the offense, led by Rodgers and Metcalf, will largely determine how far the team goes this season. 

Metcalf hopes to be smiling all season long, playing with Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh’s offense led by second-year coordinator Arthur Smith (left). (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

The offense was a primary culprit in Pittsburgh’s demise down the stretch of 2024, when it lost its final five games, including its wild-card playoff game, never scoring more than 17 points. Quarterback Russell Wilson, who assumed starting duties from Justin Fields in Week 7 last season after recovering from a calf injury, went 6-1 in his first seven starts but regressed down the stretch with the rest of the passing attack, which finished 27th in the NFL. Gone now are Wilson and Fields, both of whom departed in free agency, and leading receiver George Pickens, who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in May. 

Metcalf could make a big difference in Pittsburgh’s offense, particularly the deep passing game. 

The 27-year-old has built a reputation as a physical, vertical threat with his sub-4.4 speed and 6-foot-4, 229-pound frame. Among qualified wide receivers last season, Metcalf ranked fourth in deep target rate (25.9%), sixth in air yards per target (13.7) and 11th in yards per reception (15.0), according to Next Gen Stats. He’s registered at least 900 receiving yards in each of his six NFL seasons, including 992 last season (to go with 66 receptions and five touchdowns) in 15 games. Metcalf signed a four-year, $132 million extension with the Steelers after they acquired him from the Seattle Seahawks in March. 

But just how effective Metcalf can be will come down largely to Rodgers, who’s well past his prime at age 41. Any mobility he once had is all but gone at this point in his career. He also ranked in the bottom half of the league in most passing categories last season among qualified quarterbacks — passer rating, yards per attempt, completion rate and EPA per dropback among them, per NGS. 

The Steelers, who signed Rodgers to a one-year deal after a months-long courtship, are hoping to squeeze out whatever he has left in the tank, another year removed from his 2023 Achilles injury. 

Metcalf acknowledged that the process of building chemistry with a new quarterback can be tough in the beginning, but he’s looking forward to picking Rodgers’ brain. The two worked out together twice ahead of training camp, including before he signed with Pittsburgh. 

“Going to listen to everything he says, even the critiques he has of my game,” Metcalf said last week. “I’m going to be willing and open to go searching for those answers from him because he’s had great receivers in his past and I’m just trying to be another one. 

“I don’t think there’s a timetable to [chemistry]”Metcalf menambahkan,” tetapi cara apa yang lebih baik untuk melakukannya selain di sini melawan salah satu pertahanan terbaik di liga. “

Rodgers percaya dia memiliki hubungan yang baik dengan Metcalf ke titik ini, dan veteran 20 tahun telah memeluk bagian komunikasi dari proses pertumbuhan dengan rekan satu tim yang ofensif.

Selain Ramsey, Pittsburgh juga mengakuisisi Jonnu Smith yang ketat dalam perdagangan bulan lalu yang mengirim Star Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick ke Miami Dolphins. Smith mencetak rekor waralaba Lumba -lumba untuk akhir yang ketat dalam tangkapan (88) dan menerima yard (884) musim lalu dalam perjalanan ke anggukan Pro Bowl pertamanya. The Steelers menandatangani veteran berlari kembali Kenneth Gainwell dan penerima Robert Woods untuk penawaran satu tahun di agen bebas juga.

“Saya suka fleksibilitasnya,” kata Rodgers pada hari Rabu dari pelanggaran koordinator Arthur Smith. “Arthur tidak kaku dalam apa yang dia lakukan. Dia ingin menyesuaikan skema dengan personel – ketika Anda membawa Kenny Gainwell, membawa Jonnu Smith, membawa DK Metcalf dan saya sendiri dengan beberapa hal yang telah saya lakukan selama bertahun -tahun. Kami mencoba untuk mencari tahu yang terbaik dan menerapkannya dalam pelanggaran. Saya suka itu tentang Arthur, kami akan tetap melakukannya.

Rodgers dan Metcalf adalah teman sepi di Steelers Training Camp, yang diadakan di Saint Vincent College di Latrobe, Pa. Ini memberi dua kesempatan untuk melanjutkan percakapan di luar ruang pertemuan.

Tomlin ditanya minggu lalu apakah itu direncanakan.

“Tampaknya tepat, bukan?”

Ya, tentu saja.

Tapi sekarang, kita menunggu untuk melihat apakah harapan Tomlin – apa yang dia bayangkan sepanjang musim panas – akan membuahkan hasil penuh pada musim gugur.

Ben Arthur adalah reporter NFL untuk Fox Sports. Dia sebelumnya bekerja untuk jaringan Tennessean/USA Today, di mana dia berada Titans Kalahkan penulis selama satu setengah tahun. Dia menutupi Seattle Seahawks Untuk Seattlepi.com selama tiga musim (2018-20) sebelum pindah ke Tennessee. Anda dapat mengikuti Ben di Twitter di @Benyarthur.

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