DK Metcalf showed why he can be Russell Wilson’s cheat code in the playoffs

DK Metcalf languished until the tail end of the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft thanks to questions about his agility and injury history. That slide down the draft board may have been the best possible outcome for the Seahawks — and for Metcalf, too.

The 6’4, 230-pound wideout landed in a perfect situation in Seattle. Not only would he get to play with a perennial MVP candidate at quarterback, but he’d also be afforded the chance to step into a starring role right away. Doug Baldwin’s retirement left a gaping hole atop the team’s depth chart next to Tyler Lockett, one the draft’s most jacked wide receiver could easily fill.

Metcalf was named a starter in his first week with the club, eventually making 58 catches for 900 yards and seven touchdowns. After averaging three catches and roughly 50 yards per game over the first half of the season, those numbers rose to 4.4 and 62 over his final eight games. Not only did he see more targets from Russell Wilson, but his catch rate jumped from 51 percent to 64 as he grew into the team’s circle of trust.

That solid regular season was only the appetizer for the playoffs main course, however.

On Sunday, the rookie feasted on the Eagles’ depleted secondary, notching an NFL rookie record 160 receiving yards on just seven receptions. Russell Wilson was actually less accurate throwing to him in short-yardage situations — four of six on targets of nine yards or fewer downfield, including one incompletion negated by a roughing the passer call — than he was on his deep balls. Wilson dialed up Metcalf’s number four times for throws 20+ yards downfield. Metcalf hauled in three of them.

Metcalf doesn’t look like a downfield burner; he looks like the kind of possession receiver you’d trust to plod to the first-down marker, turn around, and box out a smaller defensive back (and when you’re Metcalf’s size, every defensive back is smaller). Instead, he’s flashed the absurd athleticism that made him a headliner at last year’s combine.

That bulk and 4.33-second 40-yard-dash speed were entirely too much for Philadelphia’s beleaguered secondary to handle. Here, Metcalf got so far in front of Avonte Maddox that he had the time to fall while hauling in the catch, get back up without being ruled down, and stumble into the end zone. The Eagles, with their safety help on the other side of the field, could only hope for a drop:

This bold decision to leave Metcalf in man coverage came back to sting Philadelphia again in the fourth quarter. The Eagles sold out for a Cover-0 blitz on third-and-long with under two minutes left in a 17-9 game. Wilson saw this pre-snap and audibled at the line of scrimmage, sending his rookie long when a first down would effectively end the game. Rather than check down for a more conservative short pass in a crucial situation, Wilson trusted his rookie wideout enough to throw the ball up for grabs before he’d even cleared his cornerback downfield.

It worked like a charm.

Metcalf once again had three clean yards of separation downfield, leaving him plenty of space to elevate and haul in a game-sealing reception. With that, he bid deuces to the always-welcoming Philly crowd and began his mental prep work for a Divisional Round game in Green Bay. Three kneel-downs later, the Seahawks were leaving Pennsylvania with an eight-point playoff win.

Sunday’s explosion wasn’t exactly unexpected, but it was still a career best in both receptions and receiving yards for the rookie. That sets a high bar for next week’s game, but the Pack will have plenty of game film to pore through.

The easiest way to limit Metcalf is to frustrate him with a top-line defensive back who can turn and run with him downfield. Cardinals corner Patrick Peterson was immensely successful with this in Week 16 when he held the rookie to zero catches on one target in a 27-13 Seahawks’ loss. The Rams, who flanked him with Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters in spurts during their first meeting, had similar success (except for a 40-yard touchdown).

Green Bay doesn’t have a multiple-time All-Pro like Peterson on board to pull that off, but they can counter with some talent of their own. Second-year corner Jaire Alexander will likely pull WR1 duties next week, and while he’s had his share of mistakes, he’s also good enough to leave in one-on-one coverage. Alexander allowed just a 47.5 percent completion rate in coverage this fall, with 16 passes defensed. Head coach Matt LaFleur can buttress Alexander with over-the-top help from Adrian Amos, the former Bears standout whose coverage has slipped in 2019.

There’s potential in the Green Bay secondary, but there’s still a reasonable chance the rookie balls out again to lift Seattle to its first win at Lambeau Field this millennium. Metcalf shined against a secondary that gave up more than 11 yards per completion in the Wild Card Round. The Packers were actually worse than Philadelphia in that regard (11.5 yards per catch), and now they’re going up against a Seahawks team with multiple deep threats.

And don’t forget about Lockett, Seattle’s leading receiver, even after dealing with a Week 10 leg injury that sapped his effectiveness late in the season (he’s fully healthy again now). He can absolutely thrive if an opponent devotes its resources too heavily on Metcalf. The five-year veteran is in the midst of the most productive season of his career and had four catches for 62 yards while Metcalf was breaking the Eagles’ secondary Sunday.

Metcalf still has his flaws. His turning radius isn’t precise, and his route tree is fairly limited. That didn’t matter Sunday, because he’s big and fast enough to roast you in single coverage just by running in a (mostly) straight line. Or, as Marshawn Lynch put it:

He proved he can dominate in the playoffs by eating Philadelphia’s lunch. Now he’ll have to prove he can have that kind of impact on a consistent basis against a secondary that’s studded with talent but has been, so far, less than the sum of its parts in 2019. At the very least, Metcalf gave the Packers something to think about in his record-setting wild card performance.