The Pittsburgh Steelers are close to winning the AFC North and punching their ticket to the playoffs. With six losses on the season, winning the division figures to be the Steelers’ only path to the postseason, where they’re looking to end their drought of playoff wins before it reaches a decade.
The Steelers could clinch the division on Saturday night if the Green Bay Packers are able to defeat the Baltimore Ravens. However, even if the Ravens gut out a win, Pittsburgh and star quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be able to take care of business and wrap up the division on Sunday by defeating the Cleveland Browns.
Unfortunately, Rodgers is going to have to manufacture a victory without his top receiving threat. There was worry around Pittsburgh that wide receiver DK Metcalf would be suspended for his role in an altercation with a fan in Pittsburgh’s game against the Detroit Lions.
Now, a suspension has been confirmed, according to one of the league’s top insiders.
“NFL suspended Steelers WR D.K. Metcalf two games for the swipe he took at a fan during Sunday’s game in Detroit. Metcalf still can appeal, but he now is slated to miss the Steelers’ upcoming potential game vs. the Browns,” reported ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter followed up with exactly which policy Metcalf violated.
“DK Metcalf’s actions violate league policy, which specifies that ‘players may not enter the stands or otherwise confront fans at any time on game day and…if a player makes unnecessary physical contact with a fan in any way that constitutes unsportsmanlike conduct or presents crowd-control issues and/or risk of injury, he will be held accountable.'”
It’ll be interesting to see how Rodgers looks with a depleted receiving corps on Sunday, considering wide receiver Calvin Austin III is managing a hamstring injury that may keep him out of Sunday’s contest as well.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.