PITTSBURGH — DK Metcalf couldn't get on the field during the Pittsburgh Steelers ' last two games. The star receiver came dangerously close to not seeing any action until next season kicks off.
Shortly after his team's 26-24 season-extending win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, Metcalf sent a GIF of former Los Angeles Rams cornerback Marcus Peters' exchange with reporters to illustrate his feelings of being back in the mix.
Before the 2018 NFC Championship game, Peters was asked to evaluate his team's season.
"I think," Peters said before leaning closer to the podium's microphone, pausing and looking back and forth at the reporters in front of him. "We ain't done yet."
"We ain't done yet. Facts," Steelers receiver Calvin Austin III said when told Metcalf used the clip.
Along with Austin, who had three receptions for 55 yards and caught the go-ahead score with less than a minute to go, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen served as Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers ' targets during the rollercoaster ride, holding it down as Metcalf rode out the latter half of his two-game punishment for an interaction with a fan in Detroit .
Metcalf sent words of encouragement before his teammates headed to Acrisure Stadium for the pivotal clash.
"He's our leader," Austin said. "He's the guy. He texted us this morning. He just wanted us to know that we have everything we need. Just go out there and play how we (do). … At the end of the day, we've got a deep receiver group. We have guys that can make plays, and so it's just awesome that we can make enough plays to win this game and DK can come back next week."
Valdes-Scantling had five receptions for 34 yards after last week's matchup with the Cleveland Browns went awry . He described the pass-catching collective as "hoopers" after a week of outside underestimation.
Thielen had three grabs for 43 yards. Tailback Kenneth Gainwell , the team's receptions leader for the campaign, reeled in eight passes for 64 yards. The pack's top dog will only boost it next week.
"It's his room," Valdes-Scantling said of Metcalf. "He's the leader. … I've played a lot of football. Between myself and Adam and even Calvin and ( Ben Skowronek ), there's a lot of football there.
"It's his room, and we respect that. Having his support and wishing us well (because) he wants to be out there helping us. It's an unfortunate situation that he couldn't be out there, and now we get the opportunity. (He could) get his legs back fresh and go hoop again."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers WRs Were Determined to Get DK Metcalf One More Game
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