SANTA CLARA, Calif. — A season that began with DK Metcalf signing a contract making him the sixth-highest paid receiver in the NFL ended with him showing why he’s worth it.
Metcalf, whose deal through the 2025 season can pay him up to $72 million, caught 10 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 41-23 wild-card playoff loss to the 49ers on Saturday.
That included a 50-yard TD when he beat Charvarius Ward in man coverage that gave the Seahawks a 14-13 lead late in the second quarter.
That was a matchup the Seahawks felt they might be able to exploit, especially when Metcalf would get man coverage, something he hasn’t gotten a lot of this season.
Metcalf said QB Geno Smith told him in practice Wednesday “that if I was pressed on that play he was going to throw it to me. He kept his word. … I like a man who’s about his word.”
Said Smith of Metcalf: “It’s DK, you know what I mean? That’s DK, clutch player. … One-on-one, your DB’s going to have a tough time.”
Metcalf caught another TD in the final minutes and has five touchdown catches in four postseason games — already the third most in franchise history behind the six of Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse.
The catches were the second most in any game this season for Metcalf as were the yards.
“DK had a great game today, and I don’t know how you could do a whole lot better,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said.
To Metcalf, the loss took the shine out of any of his stats and had him looking to what the Seahawks need to do to catch up to the 49ers.
“I think we missed out during training camp on a lot of team bonding and bonding as a whole, whether that’s position groups or just the team in general,” said Metcalf, who did not take part in much of the offseason program while rehabbing from foot surgery and negotiating his contract. “I think next offseason and next season going into it, just being ready to bond with the team and know who we are at the core and not just jersey numbers or teammates. It has to be a real brotherhood when you go out there for games like this.”
Seahawks defense left grasping for air
While the Seahawks offense kept the game close for most of three quarters, the defense never did get a handle on the San Francisco offense, which scored more points and gained more yards (505) than they had all season.
“They whipped our ass,” Seahawks defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson said. “They could do whatever they wanted. It was a frustrating game.”
Most frustrating is that the Seahawks could never really lay a hand on rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who used his legs to scramble and buy time.
“I don’t know why we couldn’t sack the guy,” said Carroll of Purdy, who was sacked only once. “And we chased him all over the place, and he’s not noted for being the greatest scrambler, but he looked like (Hall of Fame QB) Fran Tarkenton out there today.”
It wasn’t just Purdy as the 49ers had 10 plays of 18 yards or longer, including a 74-yard TD pass from Purdy to Deebo Samuel and a 68-yard run by Christian McCaffrey.
Said Jefferson of the McCaffrey run: “They had 44 (fullback Kyle Juszczyk) come in and cracked the linebacker. It was like Moses parting the Red Sea. It was great call on their part.”
The 49ers also hit several crossing patterns out of play action.
Carroll said the success of those plays may have been in part because the Seahawks went into the game focused on trying to contain San Francisco’s running game after they gained 189 and 170 yards rushing in the first two games they played.
“We were geared up to stop the running game today in hopes that we’d be able to do that,” Carroll said. “We got caught up a little bit and it stayed with us. The preparation caught us a little bit cause we were really gunning to make sure that we were there and the play passes did get in behind us on some zone stuff.”
Said Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs: “(49ers head coach) Kyle (Shanahan) did a great job of setting those plays up and making everything look alike. That’s why he’s one of the best in the game. It’s just one of those games where you have to play consistently with your eyes and you know Pete’s old things of doing right longer. We weren’t able to do that today and those guys made some big plays. Hats off to them.”
Notes
- Safety Ryan Neal, who played for the first time since Dec. 15 against the 49ers after battling a knee injury, left late in the game with cramps.
- Linebacker Darrell Taylor left with what was announced as a shoulder stinger in the second quarter but later returned.