3 Seattle Seahawks who should be embarrassed by Thanksgiving performance vs. 49ers
By Lee Vowell
Embarrassment No. 3 - Wide receiver DK Metcalf
Part of DK Metcalf's issue lately isn't completely his fault. His targets have become forced passes when he is clearly not open. Since Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Metcalf has 25 catches (in six games), but on 57 targets. That is a catch rate of only 43.9 percent which is atrocious. Metcalf only has one touchdown reception since Week 4. In Week 12, Metcalf caught 3 of his 9 targets.
Of course, it doesn't help when Metcalf drops simple passes as well like the one he did on a short in-route that would have gone for seven yards or so and Geno Smith's pass hits Metcalf directly in his hands. In his career, Metcalf has caught 60.3 percent of his targets, so he doesn't have awful hands, he just doesn't catch the ball as well as Tyler Lockett.
Against the 49ers, and well...almost every other team recently, Metcalf simply doesn't seem to fight for the ball on deep passes. He either catches the pass or he doesn't, but there are no real contested catches because he is not contesting the passes himself. A receiver of DK Metcalf's size should steal a ball or two nearly every game and he is simply incapable or unwilling to do so.
I have seen some comments on social media that the Seahawks do not use Metcalf correctly and he will leave the first chance he gets. The first part might be true, or Metcalf just isn't that great of a route runner. The second part is definitely not true as Metcalf has already re-signed with the Seahawks once and is signed through 2025. Seattle needs to get the ball to Metcalf in more unique ways, but Metcalf also needs to catch the easy passes and fight for throws down the field.