For much of quarterback Russell Wilson’s successful tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, there have been questions about whether his wide receivers are good enough.
Those issues weren’t being raised as the Seahawks prepared for Sunday’s meeting with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in an NFC divisional-round matchup. Wilson’s wide receiver corps suddenly includes a potential emerging star: rookie DK Metcalf, who grabbed his share of the spotlight with a seven-catch, 160-yard performance in last Sunday’s 17-9 triumph at Philadelphia in the opening round.
“I think the night was stolen by DK,” Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll said after the game. “He just had a phenomenal night [and] showed you what he’s capable of looking like. He’s had a great season in his rookie year. But to have a night like that in the first chance ever in the playoffs, that was spectacular. He did some stuff that it’s hard to imagine anybody else doing.”
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Metcalf’s rare combination of size, speed and leaping ability was on vivid display against the Eagles. He made a stretching catch of a third-quarter deep pass by Wilson, tumbled to the ground and got to his feet to reach the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown. And with the Seahawks clinging to a late lead, he soared to make a dazzling grab for a 36-yard gain on a third-and-10 play to allow Seattle to run out the clock.
“It was just amazing that [Wilson] believed in me just to throw it up to me in that situation,” Metcalf said. “But I just had to go make a play.”
Carroll called the outcome-sealing play an “exquisite throw and catch” and added, “That was the most pretty football can look right there, at the most crucial time.”
Metcalf is exceptionally big, at 6-foot-4 and 229 pounds. He is exceptionally fast, posting a time of 4.33 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. But the Seahawks were able to get him late in the second round of the draft, as the ninth wide receiver chosen, because some talent evaluators wondered about his level of production in college at Mississippi, about a neck injury he had suffered in his final collegiate season and about his agility and route-running skills.
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These days, Metcalf is looking like a draft steal. He had 58 catches for 900 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season, and he showed against the Eagles that he can be a game-changing player.
“I’m blessed,” Metcalf said in Philadelphia, referencing his recovery from his neck injury. “I’ve got ‘Miracle’ tatted on my back because God performed a miracle in me in college. And so not taking anything for granted. Taking every practice, every rep like it’s my last.”
The Seahawks said Metcalf has impressed his coaches and teammates as an eager learner and dedicated worker.
“I think if anything has shifted, his confidence is really there,” Carroll said. “He knows he can play this game at this level, and he wants to be in the middle of it all. He’s got a great demeanor about that, too. He’s not yapping about wanting the football or calling for this or that. He just plays the game the way that you love guys to play it, with great work ethic and great focus. And he’s got marvelous talent. So he’s just getting going. I just think it’s been a really steady ascent kind of to this point. That was a huge game, obviously. But he’d been playing good football all year.”
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Wilson said he and Metcalf have “a special bond” that began with throw-and-catch sessions over the summer.
“He’s been special all year, one of the best rookies that’s come out,” Wilson said. “He’s got a nice little chip on his shoulder, too. I’m glad he’s on our team, that’s for sure, and he’s on our team for a long time. I think the great thing about him, more than anything else, is he’s always been professional since Day One. Nothing happens by accident. His preparation — how he’s come in and prepared week in and week out ever since the offseason, all the extra work, all the early mornings, throwing at 5:20 in the morning in the summertime — that’s what greatness looks like. And he’s done it.”
Wilson and wideout Tyler Lockett, who had 1,057 receiving yards in the regular season, make certain to speak to Metcalf on a weekly basis, and the rookie said his confidence is on the rise.
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“It’s growing tremendously,” Metcalf said. “They’re trusting me a lot more.”
When the Seahawks reached consecutive Super Bowls after the 2013 and 2014 seasons, they were all about a dominant defense led by the “Legion of Boom” secondary and the “Beast Mode” running of Marshawn Lynch. Wilson, still early in his career, was known for his ability to make something out of nothing. But his wide receivers mostly were afterthoughts.
The Seahawks still take pride in being run-first: They ranked fourth in rushing during the regular season. But Wilson is an MVP-caliber player. And now, with Metcalf’s emergence, the Seahawks also have a wide receiver who causes opposing defenses to take notice. Wilson said he congratulated Metcalf in the locker room for his performance but he also stressed the need to keep producing.
“I think DK and I are really enjoying playing together,” Wilson said. “There’s a lot more ahead of us. … We haven’t done anything yet. That’s just the reality. So we’re just getting started. The goal is bigger than just this one game. Let’s see if we can strike magic again next week.”
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