Seahawks DK Metcalf is being played, and he doesn't even know it

So why can't Metcalf play like Baldwin and Lynch?

Meanwhile, the guy who has to play aggressive football has a ratio of one idiotic play for every 298 snaps. That's more than 15 times as often as Angry Doug and Beastmode combined. So you're telling me DK Metcalf is 15 times better than both of those guys combined? Because that's the argument; he plays aggressively, so you have to live with the penalties. Clearly, a player can be aggressive within the confines of the rules. Two of the Seahawks greatest managed it, so why can't Metcalf?

I get it; once on every 298 snaps, who cares? Oh, I don't know; maybe you'll care when he kills a drive and costs the Hawks a win. I'm not saying the Seahawks should trade Metcalf. Nor am I saying that the Hawks benched him, although there's certainly been a lot of conjecture about it. I'm saying that I hope they did. I hope that Pete Carroll has been over the top defending his player in public. And that in private he told him something along the lines of, DK, I love you man, but you need to sit this one out.

Metcalf himself said that he has to play the way he knows how and has no intention of changing his style of play. The exact quote is, "I'm not going to change the way I play." Uh, okay, DK. Actually, you probably should. When the league penalizes your team for the way you play, you should probably change your style. To show just how ludicrous Metcalf's stance is, here's another quote from the same press conference, as cited by Brady Henderson for espn.com:

""If you look at the penalties, it was a taunting, unnecessary roughness, face mask, holding and I think it was one more in there," he said, referring to an illegal blindside block. "So I'm doing pretty good if I look at it and judge myself, how I play. I just try to be consistent and have clean hands or whatever the case may be, but I'm not going to change who I am as a player or a person.""

- DK Metcalf

Not that Mr. Metcalf will ever see this, but time for an open letter. Really, DK, you're doing pretty good? Taunting and unnecessary roughness are okay? They're not okay by definition; they are penalties. Your team is penalized for your actions, DK.

Remember them, the Seahawks? The guys you work with every day? The organization that pays you for every game? How exactly does your immaturity help your team?

Some D back takes a cheap shot, talks trash, or disrespects you? So what? Beat them on the field. Burn them on the next play. You're not playing your game, DK; you're playing their game. When you get called for childish penalties, they win. I have no idea why you think you have to retaliate for every slight, but it's time to stop. I wish Doug Baldwin and Marshawn Lynch would stop by and teach you how a true intimidator plays football. Because right now, you're the one being played.

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