Injuries can sometimes be a blessing in disguise, and that may be the case for the Pittsburgh Steelers receiving corps. The New Orleans Saints can't fall into the trap of thinking it's just DK Metcalf. There was always going to be attention on DK Metcalf, but rookie Germie Bernard has surged since Roman Wilson and Michael Pittman Jr. have gone to injured reserve.
The injuries have made Bernard a central part of the receiving game. He had 11 total targets in the first four games, eight of which came in Week 2. Rodgers targeted Bernard 12 times last week and nine times in the game before that. He's reeled in 17 of those targets.
The Steelers still don't have a lot of depth in their receiver room, but the rise of Bernard has made matters more bearable. He's actually outpaced Metcalf over this two week span and been the Steelers' leading receiver.
Germie Bernard's matchup with Jonas Sanker should be interesting to watch
The Steelers other top receiving threats are Metcalf and the running back Jaylen Warren. Metcalf led the team in yards last week and Warren the week prior, but consistency is where Bernard has beat them out. His 80 and 87 yards were second in each contest by a narrow margin, but it's the most consistency any receiver has had on the Steelers all year.
There's a reason Gregg Rosenthal sees Bernard as Pittsburgh's top receiver, labeling him 1A to Metcalf's 1B. It may a bit premature to say that, but it's a testament of Bernard's talent.
Metcalf has had an 115-yard and 93-yard performance, but no other game has been over 40 yards. Bernard is the only Steelers receiver to have 80 or more yards in consecutive games this entire season. Bernard’s reliability and consistency are the type of thing Aaron Rodgers has a great affinity for.
Don't expect the two week sample size to be a fluke either. Bernard was a prospect I was high on coming out of Alabama. The Saints obviously went with Jordyn Tyson in the first round, but Bernard is both the type of receiver the Saints need and the type of receiver that will hurt the Saints.
Bernard is a slot guy who does a lot of damage underneath. That'll put a massive spotlight on Bernard’s matchup with Jonas Sanker. Bernard splits his time nearly evenly between playing out wide and in the slot, but there’s a slight edge in the slot.
Sanker is going to have to be sticky in coverage and not allow a lot of room to run after the catch. That's where Bernard excels. Those yards after catch can be the difference between 3rd and 7 becoming 4th and 3 or 1st and 10.
Add us as a preferred source on Google