DK Metcalf — Week 3: A Touchdown and Two Holding Flags
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 28
Metcalf caught 3 of 5 targets for 31 yards and his first touchdown of the season, 6 yards on third and two with 2:48 left in the third for a 24–20 lead. Two holding penalties on him cut an 87-yard Jaylen Warren run to 6 and an 11-yarder to 3, and he caught 14 yards on the snap after the second, in a 30–27 win over the Bengals.
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20 to 17, Bengals, two 48 left in the third quarter, third and two at the Cincinnati six. Aaron Rodgers threw short middle to DK Metcalf for the touchdown. +2.0 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and 7.5 points of win probability, the chance of winning the game after the play against before it. The extra point made it 24 to 20, Pittsburgh. It was Metcalf's first touchdown of the season and his first catch on third down: he had been thrown to on third down six times in the first two games and caught none.
The flags are the other half of the day. Second quarter, Steelers up 14 to 10: Jaylen Warren ran 11 yards to the Cincinnati 19, and a holding call on Metcalf cut it to three; the drive ended in a field goal. Fourth quarter, 27 all, seven 39 left, first and 10 at the Pittsburgh eight: Warren went 87 yards to the Cincinnati five, and a holding call on Metcalf cut it to six. On the next snap, first and 11 at the Pittsburgh seven, Rodgers hit Metcalf over the short middle for 14 to the 21, +1.0 expected points and 5.4 points of win probability, and the drive ended in the field goal that won the game.
The line: five targets, three catches, 31 yards, one touchdown, three first downs, +2.5 expected points on the targets. The first catch was 11 yards on first and 10 from the Pittsburgh 14 in the first quarter, on the drive that ended in Ben Skowronek's touchdown. The two incompletions were both deep — 23 yards in the air on second and 11 in the first quarter, 27 on second and 13 in the second. Five targets put him one behind Roman Wilson's six and level with Michael Pittman, the first game this season he has not led the Steelers in targets.
Back in June the preview leaned toward Metcalf, on lead-receiver target volume, and named the deep connection with Rodgers as the whole ceiling. Week 1 and Week 2 brought the volume — 10 nine targets, the team lead both times — and eight catches for 67 yards. Sunday brought fewer targets and the touchdown. Three games: 24 targets, 11 catches, 98 yards, one touchdown. The deep part has not happened: nine targets that traveled 20 or more yards in the air, none caught, and Rodgers's two deep completions Sunday went to Wilson and Skowronek. Three games settle little. Pittsburgh is at the Browns on Thursday the first.
_Data via nflverse._
When DK Metcalf's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
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