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

The Seahawks lost to the 49ers in the Wild Card game on Saturday but none of the problems Seattle had in the second half were DK Metcalf’s fault. Seattle led at the half, partly due to Metcalf’s great play. But Seattle got blown out in the second half, and still, Metcalf did well.

NFL receivers are a slightly odd bunch. Even most of the best ones are reliant on someone else, the quarterback, to get them the ball. Sometimes there are players like Deebo Samuel who can line up at running back and generate yards, but this is rare. Metcalf is more of a pure receiver, just like the great Julio Jones was in his prime.

But receivers are also paid a premium salary. The running back with the highest cap hit in 2023 is Aaron Jones of the Packers who carries a hit of $20,020,000. The next closest back is Ezekiel Elliott of the Cowboys with a cap hit of $16,720,000.

DK Metcalf was special for the Seahawks in the Wild Card game

12 receivers have a higher cap hit than Jones. That is the NFL of today. DK Metcalf is 23rd at $13,720,000, though Metcalf moves up to number 2 in 2025 with a cap hit of $29,500,000.

My point in all this is that receivers rely so heavily on what the quarterback does that to be an extremely valuable receiver the receiver himself needs to be special. Metcalf has put up good numbers in his career but are they truly special? One thing is for sure, even in the Seahawks’ loss to the 49ers in the Wild Card game, Metcalf was once again special in the playoffs. Here are three observations as to why.

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.

Once again. DK Metcalf was a beast for the Seahawks in the playoffs

While Metcalf might find a way to be limited by great cornerbacks like Jalen Ramsey, there can also be no doubt that DK Metcalf understands how important some games are. Metcalf never seems to shy away from the fact that he can shine in the playoffs and can rise above the moment. Metcalf has now played in four playoff games for the Seahawks and his numbers are very impressive.

Against the 49ers, Metcalf set a personal postseason best for catches in a game with 10. But his 136 receiving yards were 24 yards short of the 160 yards receiving he had against the Eagles in 2019. Metcalf had 2 touchdown catches against the 49ers but that tied his best of the 2 TD receptions he had versus the Rams in 2020.

Metcalf has had at least 96 yards receiving in three of his four playoff games and has scored touchdowns in three of those games too. He has averaged 17.4 yards a reception on 26 catches. In four playoff games, Metcalf has 451 yards receiving, or 112.8 yards per game.

The Seahawks are only 1-3 in the playoff games Metcalf has played. Maybe Seattle’s defense hasn’t been as good in recent years is why they lost or maybe former quarterback Russell Wilson made a few bad throws. But one thing is for sure, DK Metcalf is not the reason Seattle loses in the playoffs.

DK needs to be consistently better for Seahawks in the regular season in 2023

Not to end on a sour note intentionally because DK Metcalf was brilliant for the Seahawks in the Wild Card game even if many other parts of the team were not good. I don’t want to take anything away from what Metcalf did versus San Francisco because the 49ers are very capable of winning the Super Bowl this year and Metcalf at times made them look silly. But if Metcalf were to play as he does in the playoffs consistently during any regular season, he would be a top-three receiver.

The problem is that Metcalf isn’t a top-three receiver in the NFL. He has the physical tools to do it, though. Maybe Seattle’s offense doesn’t move him around as much as it should or use him in more inventive ways. But Metcalf knows going into any given game that he is going to get double-covered a bunch and he needs to find ways to beat that coverage.

Against the 49ers, Metcalf had 2 touchdown catches. That marked the first time this season Metcalf had multiple touchdowns in a game. His 10 catches were his second-best output and his 136 receiving yards were also his second-best effort. Metcalf had his best game of the season versus the 49ers.

But the Seahawks need consistently more from Metcalf in 2023. He will be entering his fifth season but is still only 25 years old. He is also about to make a whole lot of money. Seattle will be paying him like the cornerstone of the offense, Metcalf now just needs to play like it week in and week out.