Studs and far too many duds from the Seahawks humiliating Week 17 loss to Steelers

DK Metcalf led the receiving Renaissance

I hesitate to ever call Tyler Lockett a dud, so I'm not about to start today. Let me simply say that the receivers other than Lockett had a great day. The other Hawks caught 22 of 27 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown. Lockett will bounce back, most assuredly. He opened the season with two catches, then hauled in eight the week after. Held to just three catches against Baltimore, he followed up with eight vs. the Commanders. After the Eagles held him in checks for three catches, Lockett pulled down eight receptions against the Titans. So no worries here, not this week and not ever.

Noah Fant caught five of six balls for 59 yards, 23 of those after the catch. Fant also was error-free, with zero drops. Jaxon Smith-Njigba did drop one of his two targets, so that wasn't exactly helpful. But considering that he also had the Seahawks lone receiving score, it's hard to fault him. The Hawks running back tandem was perfect, as Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet combined for eight catches on eight targets. 60 of their combined 61 yards came after the catch as well.

As for Mr. Metcalf, yes, he was called for a penalty. But it was hardly for the overly aggressive plays he'd been whistled for earlier this season. I'm not going to get too aggrieved over a holding call, even though this was potentially costly. Metcalf was trying to make a play, not retaliate for some petty slight to his ego. He dropped a ball too, but five catches for 106 yards makes up for more than a few mistakes. Four of his five catches gave Seattle a first down, and 47 of his yards came after the catch. That has to be a stud performance in anyone's book.