Vikings

Don't Say I Didn't Warn You About D.K. Metcalf Deep Balls

Photo credit: Joe Nicholson (USA TODAY Sports)

With longtime nemesis Russell Wilson playing at career high levels to start 2020, the Minnesota Vikings will have their work cut out for them on Sunday Night Football when they square off against the Seattle Seahawks this weekend. The Vikings have yet to defeat Wilson since he entered the league, and are now 0-6 vs. the former Wisconsin Badger.

With Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer finally ceding to armchair quarterbacks everywhere, Wilson has been wearing his Chef Boyardee hat and cookin’ this season. While Seattle still ranks in the bottom half of the league in pass attempts, that hasn’t prevented Wilson from ranking third in the NFL in passing yards. Surrounded by talented weapons on the outside like Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, the Vikings secondary will be on high alert.

Even though Lockett leads the Seahawks in targets, receptions and touchdowns, it’s Metcalf who strikes the most fear for opposing defenses. It’s no secret that Wilson is an elite deep ball thrower, and no one stands to benefit from Wilson’s home run balls more than his second-year receiver — Metcalf is averaging 25.2 yards per reception so far in 2020.

Let’s take a look at the challenges that he presents for Mike Zimmer’s secondary on Sunday.

We’re taking it back to Week 2, when Seattle hosted Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. On this 2nd and 8 for the Seahawks in the second quarter, Belichick dials up a Cover-1 look out of his nickel defense with All-Pro corner Stephon Gilmore matched up on Metcalf in press-man. Seattle is in an empty 2×3 set as New England’s free safety creeps down towards the line of scrimmage, serving as the lone spy honoring Wilson’s rushing threat.

Once the ball is snapped, Gilmore’s press coverage is essentially rendered useless, as Gilmore allows Metcalf to win inside release without any form of resistance whatsoever. Don’t get me wrong: at 6’4”, 230 pounds with 4.33 speed, it’s a lot easier said than done when it comes to preventing Metcalf from ultimately getting where he wants to go on a football field.

Metcalf continues to climb as he dashes back towards the middle of the field, appearing to be well on his way towards a deep crossing route or a possible potential post as an occupier for the single-high safety. Belichick doesn’t bring any additional rushers, and it initially appears that Wilson has a relatively clean pocket to operate out of. At this moment, New England is practically giving Seattle the outside intermediate stuff on the wide side of the field. But Wilson has bigger aspirations for this particular play.

It’s at this very moment, with Wilson staring down the single-high safety Devin McCourty as he incorrectly guesses towards the short side of the field, when he knows he has a golden opportunity for a chunk play. With the outside receiver at the bottom of the screen beginning his break towards the middle of the field on his dig route, Wilson begins to see the vacant part of the field open up for Metcalf as he embarks on his break back towards the wide side of the field.

Wilson’s once-upon-a-time clean pocket is disappearing right before his very eyes. He senses Chase Winovich closing in on him, forcing the ball to come out of his hands just at the right time. You’ll notice that the dig route at the bottom of the screen has created tremendous real estate back towards the deep wide side of the field. Metcalf begins to leave Gilmore in the dust, with McCourty incorrectly anticipating that Metcalf will continue across the field.

Winovich puts a hell of a lick on Wilson, but it’s just a moment too late as the ball has already left Wilson’s hand en route to a streaking Metcalf deep down the field. With Metcalf’s 4.33 speed, no one is catching him in the open field with Wilson’s accuracy on deep balls.

Fortunately for Gilmore, Wilson underthrows Metcalf on this one, which can largely be attributed to Winovich’s pressure from Wilson’s blind side. But give credit to Metcalf, as he does a great job of tracking this football as it drops out of the sky like a gift from the heavens. From this angle, it appears that Gilmore gets away with what could’ve been flagged as defensive pass interference.

But all was for not as Metcalf secures the catch inside the 10-yard line and carelessly shoves Gilmore off like a mosquito on a summer night before showing off his finesse with a perfectly executed finger roll in the end zone. I’m not one to nitpick, but personally, I would’ve gone with the between the legs dunk over the goalposts if I were Metcalf in this situation, 15-yard penalty be damned. If I’m cooking Belichick and All-Pro Stephon Gilmore, you already know I’ve got a little something extra up my sleeve.

Without Danielle Hunter, the Vikings will be in a tough spot when it comes to generating consistent pressure on Wilson come Sunday night. If you’re unable to get after Wilson early and often, it’s only a matter of time before he slices and dices your defense up with vertical shots to his favorite mini-T.O. in Metcalf.

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