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

DK Metcalf is an exceptional player. That doesn't mean the Seattle Seahawks should make exceptions for his continued poor actions on the field. At some point, even the greatest players have to be held accountable for their mistakes. He says he won't change how he plays, but he's the one being played.

Before I am deluged with comments along deeply thought-provoking and well-considered lines such as, "Haters gonna hate", "Football is for real men", and similar masterful commentary, I like DK Metcalf. I like almost everything he does on the football field. I like everything I've read about or seen that he does off the field as well. He seems to be just as fine a person as he is a player.

And he is certainly one heck of a player. I wrote that he'd have a rookie season worthy of a Hall of Fame player before he took a single snap in the NFL, even before his first preseason game. If you remember, a lot of national media was busy whining that he didn't have a good route tree. Don't tell me I'm not a fan.

So yes, I really like what DK Metcalf has brought to the Seahawks. He's an aggressive player and typically fights for every inch of real estate. Any defender that tries to stop him knows they're in for a full day's work. Metcalf is explosive in the best sense of the word. Unfortunately, he's also explosive in the worst sense. There is absolutely no reason for him to continue to make these ridiculous penalties. And there is no reason for the Seahawks to tolerate them.

Seattle Seahawks need DK Metcalf to change his attitude

Before I get into the details, let me clear up what seems to be an all too common misconception among some 12s. As I already stated most clearly, I'm a big fan of DK Metcalf. Here's a life lesson for those who are in the all-or-nothing camp: You don't have to accept every single action of a person to appreciate them.

Do you honestly believe that in every relationship you have, whether it be a spouse, significant other, friend, or whatever, you've accepted every single action of theirs wholeheartedly? Your husband used the good scissors *again* to cut a sheet of cardboard or "forgot" to take out the trash for the third time this month, and you never thought a thing about it. Your wife threw out that copy of Sports Illustrated that had that article on page 37 about Rufus Porter, and you agreed, yep, time to clear up this clutter.

If you really believe that, you're insulting your own intelligence, not mine. Of course, you said something to them. That doesn't mean you love them any less. You just asked them not to make that same mistake again, please, and thank you for the love of all that is holy or I swear to - yeah, see? You have* been there.

That's the situation I'm in with DK Metcalf. He's a terrific player, and as far as I know, an even better human being. That doesn't mean I'm going to just smile and say, "Well, that's DK just being himself" when he draws another stupid penalty. Yes, it's absolutely stupid to get flagged for a personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct. That's why it's called unsportsmanlike: not fair or respectful actions toward an opposing player. A personal foul: unnecessary roughness, including violent contact with an opponent who is away from and out of a play. So let's look at the latest of DK's hit parade:

In case you forgot, this was 30 yards away from the play. For those apologists out there - and yes I do know that Pete Carroll was one of them - that said he was blocking on the play, really? In what universe does a player shove an opponent to the turf, and then casually walk back to the line of scrimmage? As Tim Weaver wrote for USA Today's Seahawks Wire, this is getting old. Yes, it is indeed getting old. We've talked about Metcalf's penalties on the 12thManRising podcast several times, and sadly, I'm sure we'll talk about them in the future.

Let's get mathy with Metcalf and his penalties

I know a lot of 12s defend Metcalf, saying it's just the way he plays, and that he has to play that way to maintain his edge. Our own Jake Luppino wrote an excellent article espousing this idea. Seriously, it's an excellent piece of work, and Jake is a fantastic writer.

In this instance, I happen to disagree. Draymond Green is brought up as an example of a player who brings a fierce intensity to the game. That's a great corollary. And let me reiterate, I love Jake's work. Hell, he's a better writer than me. A difference of opinion on one issue doesn't mean I'm not a fan of his. See how that works?

The problem is that the argument falls apart because Green was benched at times for his actions. Metcalf hasn't been. As for Green's suspension leading to him not bringing that same ferocity to the court, he was suspended for punching a teammate. That's not the same situation the Seahawks are facing with Metcalf. I'm pretty sure that if DK took a swing at Devon Witherspoon, he'd find a spot on the bench before Pete Carroll could spit out his gum. Or did you all think Percy Harvin was still on the roster?

So, let's get mathy. Just how many times has Metcalf been flagged? So far this season, according to both nflpenalties.com and The Football Database, Metcalf has been flagged five times (one penalty was offset). His four assessed penalties lead the team, by the way. Only one was for unnecessary roughness, so yay, I guess. Of course, we also have one for taunting and another for a facemask. Dang, DK, a facemask penalty on offense? Who do you think you are, Deshaun Watson? So four penalties in six games is a little excessive, especially for a wide receiver.

Let's go back further, though. I'll go with the aforementioned Football Database, to use another source. There's Metcalf again in 2022, tied for the Seahawks lead in penalties, this time with seven. By the way, Charles Cross is listed with nine penalties on nflpenalties.com, just seven on this site. But Metcalf has seven on both, so that I'd say that's accurate. DK had two calls for unsportsmanlike conduct and another for taunting. Actually, he had eight, but again, one was set aside as offsetting.

In 2021, DK only got four penalties. Awesome, right? Oh, nope, two were declined and one was offsetting. Another taunting, another unsportsmanlike conduct, and of course, that fun time when he got ejected against the Packers.

In 2020 he was only flagged three times. Amazing. Of course, one of those was for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Then in his rookie season, he was flagged five times. By the grace of God, three were offset, but one was - surprise - for unnecessary roughness, another for a facemask. So over the course of his career, DK Metcalf has been flagged 13 times for choices he made to prove a point - taunting, grabbing a facemask, shoving a defender to the ground after the play. You know, all those things that contribute absolutely nothing to the team.

These Seahawks had the most aggressive games ever

I'm not going to compare his penalties to Tyler Lockett. Somehow, Lockett turns in stats worthy of the Hall of Fame, but doesn't need to be an aggressive player at all. But that's fine. Let's look at a couple of Seahawks who definitely took no prisoners on the field, and see how they stack up to Metcalf. No, I'm not talking about defenders like Kam Chancellor. Nope, we'll review two of the baddest players that ever suited up for the Hawks on offense: Doug Baldwin and Marshawn Lynch. Surely Angry Doug and Beastmode had more than their share of unnecessary roughness calls, right?

I'm not going to break down the penalties for each player year by year, but - oh, what the heck, why not? Beginning with his rookie season - because that's how careers work - Angry Doug had 3, 1, 1, 2 in 2014, (1 for unsportsmanlike conduct), 0, 2, 1, and 2 penalties. Notice that's a total of 12 penalties in eight seasons and only one penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

As for Beastmode, his numbers are 1, 2, 1, 1, 2 in 2014 (1 for taunting), and 2. Wow, 2014 was a chippy year in Seattle. Lynch's numbers are only for his years with the Hawks, because who cares about those other teams? No, I didn't count that one game in 2019, either, as he didn't have a penalty. So Marshawn amassed a grand total of eight penalties in six seasons.

So please tell me again why DK has to be allowed to play like DK, yet Doug Baldwin and Marshawn Lynch played over 9,000 snaps and were flagged just twice between them for what I endearingly refer to as boneheaded plays? Metcalf has 13 of those in less than half the snaps. You don't have to get mathy to know that there's a problem there.

But you know what, I will get mathy one more time, just for the heck of it. Baldwin and Lych combined committed these penalties approximately once every 4,660 plays. That's approximate because I don't have the exact snap counts for Lynch before 2012. Regardless, that's a lot of smashmouth football with a tiny number of penalties.

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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