Seahawks vs Cowboys turning point: DK Metcalf redeems himself

The Seahawks were in a tight battle with the Cowboys Sunday. They went up for good when DK Metcalf made up for a huge mistake earlier.

There’s nothing as fun as getting a headstart on a story about the Seahawks. Inevitably, the story will change. When I began to write during the game, I just knew that Shaquill Griffin’s pick of Dak Prescott was the turning point. Five plays later, the Hawks pushed their one-point lead to eight.

Mmmm…yeah, there were about three other turning points after that. A close second was the sack of the Cowboys QB by rookie DE Alton Robinson on the penultimate play of the game. But I have to go with DK Metcalf scoring to put Seattle ahead for good.

The first possible turning point was actually a glaring mistake by the second-year wide receiver. With the score tied at 9-9, Rusell Wilson – you may have heard of him – hit Metcalf in stride for a spectacular 62-yard touchdown. Well, it would have been if the 6’4″ 230-pound speedster hadn’t coasted the last ten yards.

Unfortunately, that allowed Cowboys DB Trevon Diggs to atone for getting burned. He punched the ball out of Metcalf’s grasp, and it sailed out of the end zone for a  touchback. Six points were taken off the board, just like that. Luckily Dallas couldn’t move the ball, but erasing that score could have cost Seattle the game.

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Next up is the pick I mentioned by Shaquill Griffin. The ensuing score by Tyler Lockett – more on him in another article – would have put the Seahawks ahead 30-15 at the half. They eventually got there, but it sure would have been nice to be sitting on a 37-15 lead. As it was, the Pokes made up deficit and more, taking a one-point lead with 4:03 left in the fourth quarter.

I’ll admit, Prescott looked pretty good; three touchdowns and over 470 yards typically make the headlines. It isn’t exactly five touchdowns like DangeRuss managed, but it’s pretty good. Please stop saying he’s as good as Wilson, Cowboy fan. Those were impressive stats for Prescott, but he did get picked off twice and sacked twice. And that will bring us to the second-biggest turning point of the game.

I don’t see it as the biggest moment, but I can’t just gloss over the huge play by Robinson. Dallas drove the ball all the way to Seattle’s 22-yard line with 22 seconds on the clock. Prescott dropped back, and Robinson spun him to the turf for a four-yard loss. The Cowboys had to take their final timeout. Flushed from the pocket by Benson Mayowa – who just missed the sack – Prescott had to throw on the run. He was picked off by defensive back Ryan Neal, who was activated from the practice squad just this week. Good timing, man, good timing.

Okay, on to the biggest moment, at least in my head. Prior to that final defensive stand, Wilson drove the Hawks 65 yards to take the lead (of course) with his fifth TD pass of the game (of course) to DK Metcalf on a 29-yard strike in the end zone. Unlike his gaff (a terrible drop) in game one or his mistake earlier (the premature celebration), he locked onto that ball like Steve Largent. For all I know, Metcalf is still holding onto it. Just as they did in the first game, the Hawks coaches and Wilson showed the second-year phenom they have faith in him. Just as he did in the win over the Falcons, Metcalf earned it.

By my count, that’s about eighteen turning points, 12s. Neal’s interception, Mayowa’s pressure, Robinson’s sack – it wasn’t easy to choose just one from this wild game. For my money, it had to be Metcalf’s go-ahead score. It redeemed his earlier gaffe, put the Seahawks ahead for good, and showed that Seattle trusts its players to learn on the fly. And man, can he ever fly.