3 observations about DK Metcalf from Seahawks loss in Wild Card game

DK Metcalf was consistently good for the Seahawks

The 49ers have a fantastic defense. What they don’t truly have (yet) is a shutdown corner. San Francisco’s defense is so good overall that a lockdown corner isn’t really needed. There is no one that could have matched up against Metcalf one-on-one and this was a big reason Metcalf caught 10 of his 13 targets for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns. Metcalf had a touchdown in each half and with his catches being split between the halves.

On the first half touchdown pass from Geno Smith, Metcalf ran a fly pattern and so easily beat the 49ers’ defensive back that the defensive back just gave up after Metcalf caught the ball. There was no way Metcalf was going to be caught. It was the kind of play that for most of the year didn’t exist for Seattle and Metcalf.

It could be that San Francisco chose not to double-cover Metcalf as much as other teams as the 49ers safely assume it can pressure a quarterback more easily than other teams. If the front four of a defense is getting consistent pressure on a quarterback, that makes the defensive backs jobs much easier. The 49ers don’t really need a Jalen Ramsey-type cornerback because the pressure on opposing quarterbacks is so great. But this does mean a receiver like Metcalf can have a big game if the quarterback has time to throw.