The Seattle Seahawks had scored just three points with roughly four minutes to go in the second quarter of their postseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday in the Wild Card round. That’s when DK Metcalf stepped up with a 51-yard touchdown that trimmed the Seahawks’ deficit to three points.
It’s had been an emotional first half for the star receiver, who was spotted screaming on the sideline on two separate occasions. Early in the second quarter, Metcalf took off his helmet and spiked it at the ground after a rough series for the offense. Then during the second show of frustration, Metcalf got heated with coach Pete Carroll and backup quarterback Geno Smith.
DK Metcalf loses it part 2 pic.twitter.com/rqjQYv8vOI
— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) January 9, 2021
It’s easy to argue that Metcalf’s frustration led to a huge game, with the receiver catching that touchdown pass, his first reception of the game, just minutes after his second outburst. He finished with five catches on 11 targets for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
RUSS TO DK! #Seahawks
📺: #LARvsSEA on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/eO7M1HRW6M pic.twitter.com/CrE1l18SLe— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2021
But it’s also easy to see how the Seahawks mishandled Metcalf’s frustration. Perhaps in an attempt to appease his anger, the Seahawks called a screen pass immediately after his second sideline outburst. The play was predictable on two levels. It seemed obvious that Seattle would do what it could to feed Metcalf. And the Seahawks picked a play that was easily diagnosable for a well-prepared defense. That’s how Rams cornerback Darious Williams managed to anticipate the play and convert it into a pick-six.
DARIOUS WILLIAMS PICK-6 #RamsHouse
📺: #LARvsSEA on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/eO7M1HRW6M pic.twitter.com/Qlikkil8ll— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2021
It’s unfair to criticize Metcalf for getting frustrated over an offense that had scored three points, especially because he scored a touchdown when he finally touched the ball. The Seahawks coaching staff seemed to be more at fault, calling a simplistic play that the Rams capitalized upon. Metcalf was hardly the reason why the Rams, who were forced to deploy a former AAF quarterback (John Wolford) and a quarterback without a functional thumb (Jared Goff), managed to put up 30 points for a win.
