The Seattle Seahawks may have played a sloppy game in their 2019 season debut, a 21-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, but one player made it clear that the preseason hype was justified.
That would be rookie wide receiver DK Metcalf, who showed up to the game donning an old-school Steve Largent jersey and then promptly broke Largent’s record for receiving yards by a Seahawk in his NFL debut.
Metcalf hauled in four receptions, on six targets, for a total of 89 yards — breaking Largent’s long-standing record of 86 yards in the franchise’s first-ever game in 1976.
“That’s a really good start for him,” coach Pete Carroll commented after the game. “He’s ready to go.”
Metcalf has been the most talked-about Seahawks rookie in years. After falling to the final pick in the second round, the uber-athletic Metcalf impressed in training camp and early in the preseason before minor knee surgery held him out for a few weeks.
He returned in time for Week 1, and immediately became Russell Wilson’s top target. While veteran receiver Tyler Lockett was double-teamed for nearly the entire contest, Wilson found Metcalf open in one-on-one coverage.
A date with the Steelers in Week 2 will provide even more challenges, but if the Seahawks can neutralize the double team on Lockett by going to Metcalf, it will open up the passing game even more for Wilson and company.
