The Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts will face off on Sunday, but one of the most interesting matchups of the game will be between Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf and Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner.
Pittsburgh’s top receivers will face arguably Indianapolis’ best back. Who will win?
Metcalf doesn’t seem too worried about playing against the 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year. He has also criticized his opponents in a rather petty way. Here’s what he had to say about Gardner in the locker room this weekend:
“When you face a guy like Soos Gardner, what do you need to pay attention to?” a reporter asked Metcalf.
“WHO?” Metcalfe responded.
“Win my games,” Metcalf said of what he has to pay attention to when facing defensive backs. “I’m not worried about DB doing well. They have to protect me.”
If Gardner had seen this clip before the game, there’s a good chance he would have used it as fuel to stop Aaron Rodgers from throwing a pass to Metcalf. It sounds like Metcalf wants a tough competition, though. But can he surpass Gardner’s excellence?
The receiver still has a lot to prove to the Steelers. In the first four games of the season, he caught 16 passes for 213 yards and one touchdown. Last season, in his first season in Pittsburgh, he threw for a career-low 850 yards. He hopes this year will be even more memorable.
Metcalf and the Steelers could have even more to lose on Sunday as they suffered a disappointing 27-24 loss to the AFC North rival Cleveland Browns in one of Rodgers’ most embarrassing performances in quite some time. The Steelers are currently 2-2 and looking to get back on the winning side.
The Colts are 2-2 after starting the season 0-2. Indianapolis will look to continue its winning streak against the shaky Steelers.