Closing Thoughts: DK Metcalf Takes Next Step Towards Elite Status in Seahawks Week 2 Win

Stepping up to the challenge against the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Metcalf got the best of Stephon Gilmore in front of a nationally-televised audience, showing he's arrived as one of the NFL's toughest receivers to cover.

When it comes to orchestrating late-game dramatics, there may not be a better matchup in all of professional sports than when the Seahawks and Patriots tangle under the lights.

For the third time in their four games against one another since 2012, the final outcome hung in the balance inside a minute to play with the trailing team positioned inside the opponents' five-yard line with a chance to win the game. And stunningly, for the third time, that team failed to capitalize on the situation, with New England quarterback Cam Newton flipped in the backfield for a two-yard loss by Seattle defensive end L.J. Collier to seal a 35-30 win.

After re-watching the game a second time, here are some closing thoughts from Seattle's heart-stopping Week 2 victory.

• As impressive as Russell Wilson was in Seattle's Week 1 win at Atlanta, he took his play to another level against a defense that ranked first overall in scoring a year ago and boasts one of the best secondaries in the sport. Even after Greg Olsen failed to reel in a throw from him on the opening drive that turned into a 43-yard pick six for safety Devin McCourty, the star quarterback immediately showed off his resilience and resolve by calmly leading the Seahawks downfield and capping off the drive with a four-yard touchdown to Tyler Lockett. From there, it almost seemed like Wilson was toying with Bill Belichick's defense, ramping up the difficulty level of touchdown throws as the game progressed as if he was trying not to get bored playing a video game. First, he made an unbelievable downfield throw to David Moore, lofting it to a spot where only the receiver had a chance to make a play. Sure enough, Moore did just that, displaying impressive body control to get both feet down inside the pylon. As if that wasn't a hard enough throw, Wilson's final touchdown on a wheel route to running back Chris Carson was on another stratosphere. Falling backward while getting hit, he made a perfect throw right into the running back's fingertips. Enjoy watching this while you can because it's beyond magical quarterback play.
• Speaking of Carson, he did a solid job providing Seattle with much-needed balance by rushing for 72 yards on 17 carries. He ran hard all night right into the teeth of New England's top-ranked defense and while he was stuffed a few times, he and Carlos Hyde moved the chains frequently, helping position Wilson to roast the Patriots secondary. If there was one learning moment, however, Carson's decision to slide on the first down run on Seattle's final offensive drive normally would be commended for keeping the clock running. But he looked to have enough room in front of him to get the first down, which would have sealed the game without the defense having to make a stop at the goal line. With that said, he avoided going out of bounds, which would have been the cardinal sin to commit in that situation. He shouldn't be under fire for choosing to get down as he did.
• Though he put up 900 yards receiving and scored seven touchdowns as a rookie, DK Metcalf was a bit of a feast or famine target at times for the Seahawks last season. While his catch rate is still below 60 percent through two games this year, he took his next step towards entering the NFL's elite on Sunday night by getting the upper hand on cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. From the outset, Metcalf showed he was all business and didn't back down from the Patriots star defender, eventually getting into a tussle on the sideline with him. Then with Seattle trailing by seven in the second quarter, Metcalf exhibited how far he's come as a route runner, using inside leverage against Gilmore as he initially ran a slant before taking a hard break outside on a skinny corner. The corner managed to catch up with him, but Wilson dropped a perfect throw in the bucket and Metcalf broke the tackle to score a 54-yard touchdown. As Pete Carroll noted on ESPN 710 on Monday morning, we're witnessing the "emergence of a great player," as he's on pace for nearly 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns.
• After struggling to do so in the first two quarters, the Patriots were able to scheme up some pressure on Wilson in the second half, generating eight quarterback hits and a pair of sacks. That was to be expected with Belichick and his staff as good as any in the business at making adjustments. Still, Carroll and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have to be pleased with the performance from the offensive line overall for a second straight week. Wilson was given time to operate much of the night and the unit also did a stellar job creating push up front in the run game, allowing the Seahawks to rush for 154 yards and over five yards per carry.
• This will sound like a broken record, but the fact is the Seahawks have a major problem on their hands when it comes to the lack of pressure on opposing quarterbacks created by the defensive line. They've given up over 800 passing yards the past two weeks in large part due to this chronic flaw. The issue will only be magnified if Bruce Irvin, who suffered a knee injury, is forced to miss extended time. The team only hit Cam Newton five times and two of those were from safety Jamal Adams, again showing the team's reliance on using him as a blitzer to speed up the clock for opposing quarterbacks in the pocket. Adams missed on both those opportunities, while Benson Mayowa also had a sack slip from his grasp. Moving into next week's game against the Cowboys, there's literally no reason not to see what rookie Alton Robinson can do and the team should be kicking the tires on veteran free agent Jabaal Sheard. They have to find a spark somewhere and quickly.
• On the flip side, Carroll had to be proud of how well the defensive line held up against New England's rushing attack. Though Newton found the end zone twice on goal line runs and escaped with his legs a handful of times, the rest of the Patriots runners were held in check, as the Seahawks limited them to 67 rushing yards and 2.7 yards per carry. Starting running back Sony Michel rushed for just 19 yards on seven carries, while Rex Burkhead averaged less than a yard per carry and was completely shut down. Credit to the interior defensive line is due, particularly for newcomer Anthony Rush, who produced a pair of tackles on just 15 defensive snaps. While his tackle numbers don't illustrate it, Bryan Mone also had a strong game and held up well at the point of attack playing the nose tackle role.
• It's been easy to praise Adams because he's made a ridiculous number of plays in his first two games as a Seahawk. He likely erased six points off the board with a couple of crucial plays on Sunday night and his two-point conversion stop on Newton proved to be huge at the end of regulation with the Patriots trailing by five instead of three. So far, it looks like Seattle got a bargain giving up only two first round picks for him. But as Carroll pointed out after the game, there's a lot of room for improvement, as the star safety left several plays on the field on Sunday and also struggled in coverage against Julian Edelman, who slipped behind him twice for explosive downfield completions. The ultimate competitor, Adams will be fueled by those missed opportunities, which should bode well for him and the Seahawks moving forward.
• Seattle has to be fired up by what they saw from Quinton Dunbar on Sunday night after a rough first start in Week 1. When the fifth-year cornerback watches film, he will be kicking himself for not converting on a pick-six opportunity in the second quarter, but he redeemed himself with his first interception of the season in the third quarter, making Newton pay for putting his hand in the cookie jar one too many times and setting up a Wilson touchdown pass to rookie Freddie Swain. Dunbar has now had his hands on three potential interceptions and he produced a pair of pass deflections against the Patriots, indicating he's getting more comfortable with his new surroundings after missing big chunks of training camp due to legal issues and a death in the family.
• While everyone talks about the importance of Bobby Wagner and now Adams, and rightfully so, the Seahawks defense looks dramatically different without Quandre Diggs manning center field. Free safety is such a critical position in Carroll's Cover 3 defense, and without him in the lineup after being ejected, Newton and the Patriots were able to start hitting on downfield throws in the second half. As Carroll lamented after the game, there were numerous plays that may not have been converted by the opponent if he was on the field. With his ball skills and willingness to hit, he's one of their most invaluable assets and last night was further proof of how much the defense suffers without him. The good news? He's not going to be suspended and will be back in the lineup next week.