One of the best matchups of Sunday’s NFC Divisional Round showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks will be Packers cornerback Kevin King against Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf.
King, the 6-3 corner with five interceptions in 2019, will have his hands full with Metcalf, the 6-4, 229-pound rookie who exploded for 160 receiving yards in Seattle’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
King should be the rare cornerback capable of physically matching Metcalf. He has the length, straight-line speed and vertical leaping ability to combat Metcalf down the field and at the catch point. And Metcalf isn’t an explosive short-area athlete, which should help King – who generally struggles against smaller, quicker receivers – cover him in the intermediate areas.
In fact, King has generally played his best games against big receivers like Metcalf, although few receivers compare to the rookie physically.
Expect the Seahawks to challenge King vertically.
First, let’s credit King: not only has he stayed healthy this season, but he’s made a bunch of plays on the ball this season (15 pass breakups and interceptions), and he’s been more and more physical at the line of scrimmage over the last month. His availability and production have helped the Packers make a big jump on defense.
However, teams have beat him for big plays. According to Pro Football Reference, King has allowed 864 passing yards into his coverage, the third-most among all NFL players this season. And while only 58 percent of passes have been completed against King, he allowed 17.3 yards per completion and 10.2 yards per target. Both of those numbers are high compared to his peers, and they point to a cornerback capable of getting beat down the field.
Meanwhile, Metcalf has become a dominant vertical threat for Russell Wilson. The rookie caught 13 passes over 20 yards during the regular season and then delivered four more during the Seahawks’ win over the Eagles, including three on third down. He hauled in a 53-yard touchdown to put the Seahawks up 17-6 and a 36-yard completion to clinch the win on 3rd-and-10 with under two minutes left.
Wilson is one of the NFL’s best deep-ball throwers, and he’s developing a strong connection with Metcalf, who has the physical abilities to be one of the game’s most dangerous receivers vertically. He’s fast and strong and exceedingly hard to cover when Wilson uncorks his rainbow deep shots.
The Packers will likely rely on King, their biggest corner, to combat what Metcalf brings to the table.
King can help shrink the field on Wilson and force the Seahawks to go on long, grueling drives to score if he can eliminate Metcalf’s big-play ability on Sunday.
It’ll be a challenge. The Seahawks will be coming after him with a terrific quarterback and a stud rookie receiver. King, a breakout player in his third season, must be up to the task.