Hey Steelers Fans. Welcome to Tuesday.
The Kickoff
There are always two sides to every story and the truth lies somewhere in between. I don’t know what happened between D.K. Metcalf and purported Lions’ fan Ryan Kennedy but I do know one thing; none of this would be discussed had Metcalf stayed on the sidelines. Let me be clear; that isn’t as easy as all of us claim it to be but in this case it was. Metcalf claims the man used inappropriate language towards him once he got over there. So therefore, why did he go over there in the first place? That decision has now cost him and the Steelers two games. He will appeal but there’s no guarantee his suspension will be reduced. The timing couldn’t be worse. The Steelers are in position to win the AFC North for the first time since 2020. They will now attempt to do so without their best receiver.
The Fans
During the game Sunday I made a comment on ‘X’ that “while Metcalf cannot go over there my concern is fan behavior.” That was poorly worded and one person replied that I was “insane” for thinking fan behavior was my concern. While I’m not insane – yet – I see that I could have worded that better. My point however remains. I’ve never understood how a fan buying a ticket somehow means they can speak to other people (players, other fans) in the absolute worst way possible. It’s one thing to boo and yell “you suck!” after a poor performance, but it’s a different ballgame in my opinion when you attack the individual with personal insults about their race, ethnicity, etc. The commenter told me “these guys make $150 million” as if to say that meant they were open to any vitriol a fan wanted to give. Why does the amount of money a player makes translate to whether they can be verbally assaulted or not? That makes no sense to me. At the end of the day, I don’t see anything changing.
The Residual Effects
With Metcalf out for this week at the absolute least, I suspect you’ll see Arthur Smith lean on the run even more and his tight ends even more – if that were possible. As for the receivers, I suspect Roman Wilson will get a helmet. There’s also concern about Calvin Austin III and his health too so this will literally be “all hands on deck.”
Cooking
Dylan Cook has been really good at left tackle since filling in for Broderick Jones. I have this narrowed down to three things. 1. He’s a former quarterback so he has pretty good feet in terms of quickness. 2. He’s got those long arms that teams covet at the position and 3. He’s gone up against some pretty damn good pass rushers in practice for the last couple of seasons. I could be totally wrong with that evaluation but I feel pretty good about it.
Random Reads
Another great installment of Steelers History is ready! Check it out… As I finish writing this today I’ve learned that this Lions’ fan has been targeting D.K. Metcalf for several years. His hands raised in “victory” after Metcalf shoves him seems to prove he was out to accomplish this goal. How pathetic… Don’t forget, we’ll be podcasting TONIGHT for our special Festivus edition. And also because Christmas falls on our usual night… If you ask, I think the three-game winning streak has been as much about Aaron Rodgers as anyone or anything else.
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