Tag: D.K. Metcalf

Vikings 2024 NFL draft scouting report: North Carolina WR Devontez Walker

After a tulmultuous season at North Carolina, Devontez Walker decided to enter the NFL Draft. What do his NFL prospects look like?

Welcome to SKOL Search!

This series will be your guide to the 2024 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we will be covering the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from all angles.

The focus of the draft class in this space will be on the Vikings’ major needs at quarterback, running back, defensive line and edge rusher. We will also focus on wide receiver since it’s a loaded class and an increased chance to get a Stefon Diggs-type steal in the later rounds.

The Vikings are slated to have 9 picks going into the NFL draft and they need to make the most out of them.

Drew Lock’s game-winning TD to Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a schematic win for Seahawks

Drew Lock’s game-winning touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba against the Eagles was a master class in in-game scouting.

On Monday night on their home turf against the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, the Seattle Seahawks were 6-7, and looking the near-end of their season in a competitive sense. If they wanted to save their season, the Seahawks would have to drive 92 yards, down 17-13, with 1:52 left in the game. And they’d have to do it with backup quarterback Drew Lock, who was subbing for the injured Geno Smith.

No big deal, right?

Turns out it wasn’t. Against an Eagles defense that had been struggling to the point where head coach Nick Sirianni elevated Matt Patricia to the defensive play-caller position at the expense of defensive coordinator Sean Desai, Seattle marched right down the field. And with 33 seconds left in the game, Lock took a deep shot to rookie receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for all the Tostitos. A 29-yard touchdown was the result.

Did that save Seattle’s season, at least for now? I’d say so, and NextGen Stats would agree.

An inside look at the play shows not only the mistakes Philly’s defense made, but how Seattle understood what this play could mean.

The killer for the Eagles here was that they were rushing just four, and because safety Sydney Brown dropped down to the box, Philly’s defense was short a safety to the boundary side. Because the Eagles were in Cover-1, Brown most likely had running back Zach Charbonnet out of the backfield, and there was no help up top for deep safety Reed Blankenship. Moreover, because the Eagles had to man up on Seattle’s trips receivers to the back side. Furthermore, linebacker Nick Morrow moved to bracket D.K. Metcalf at No. 2 to the trips side. Blankenship was on the opposite hash at the start of the play, and with all due respect, he’s not Ed Reed in his prime. So, Bradberry wasn’t going to have any help. Basically, this was a 2-Man disguise that turned into Cover-0 without a blitz. Add that to cornerback James Bradberry squatting at the sticks, and it was pitch-and-catch.

Less than ideal.

Philly’s coverage issues notwithstanding, how did the Seahawks know that this play would work? Because they had run the same play earlier in the game, and things went differently. But Seattle offensive coordinator Shane Waldron told Lock to be alert for something else the second time around.

Emotional Drew Lock says “I’ll remember that play call for the rest of my life”

“It was actually sweet,” Lock said of the two plays. “Shane came back to that call. We ran that call on the first third down, first drive. We didn’t use the element of one-on-one go ball to Jax on that. We had man that first time. My plan going into it was we’re going to work the concept side first, first third down I get this call. I’m breaking the huddle. Shane gives me the reminder in the headset, don’t forget Jax is one on one if you got him. All right, turn around, hey, you’re getting the ball if you get one on one here.

“We already played that frontside. Who knows how they’re going to play that concept that they’ve kind of seen and felt the same thing earlier in the game. Sure enough, they gave us one on one. Kind of a perfect look. We had an off corner, Jax kind of tempoed it off the ball, hit the jets, put that thing in the back corner.”

This was third-and-9 with 5:19 left in the first quarter, and the ball at the Seattle 26-yard line. This time, Smith-Njigba had cornerback Kelee Ringo pressed right up on him, The Eagles rushed four here as well — Morrow faked a rush pre-snap, but dropped out to defend Charbonnet in the flat. So, when Brown dropped down this time, we can assume he was a robber, because he was all over the backside slant to D.K. Metcalf. The Seahawks got eight yards on that third-and-9 play, so it wasn’t a success, but they saw something they might be able to boomerang at a later point.

“I knew just by preparing all week that if it was man-to-man, I was the go-to on that play,” Smith-Njigba said. “We ran it before and they did play man, but you know, stuff happens. The next play we were able to get it down, so I’m happy I got the same look.”

As for Bradberry, all he could do was to look back with regret.

“He just ran past me because I was sitting at the sticks.”

Alas.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys go deep into both plays, and what the result means for both teams.

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You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os,” featuring all of Week 16’s biggest NFL matchups, right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Previewing Week 15’s biggest NFL matchups

In the latest “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys get into Week 16’s biggest matchups, the BIlls’ run game, and the Eagles’ backslide.

It’s time for Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season, and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup, and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire and the USA Today Sports Media Group, are here to get you ready for the most important games and interesting matchups:

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings — How rookies Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs have come to define the Lions’ offense, and what the Bengals may have taught the rest of the NFL about how to attack Brian Flores’ crazy-quilt Vikings defense.

Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins — Why the Cowboys had best be ready for Raheem Mostert and Miami’s run game, and the keys to the Dolphins’ drastic defensive improvement in the second half of the season.

Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers — Speaking of drastic defensive improvement in the second half of the season, did you know that the 49ers rank first in the NFL in Defensive DVOA since Week 10? A severe test for Lamar Jackson and Baltimore’s offense, especially without rookie running back Keaton Mitchell.

The guys also get into how the Seattle Seahawks beat the Philadelphia Eagles with the same play twice, and the Buffalo Bills’ amazing journey into becoming a force in the run game.

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os” right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

America responds to Seahawks’ amazing comeback win over Eagles

The Seahawks’ 20-17 comeback win over the Eagles was one of the 2023 NFL season’s most remarkable games, and everybody had something to say.

No big deal, really.

All Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Drew Lock had to do was to march his team 92 yards in less than two minutes to score a touchdown if he wanted to beat the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. On Monday Night Football. By the way, Lock didn’t knew whether he would be starting over Geno Smith, who was dealing with a groin injury, until just before the game started.

Oh… and if he didn’t, the 6-7 Seahawks were probably looking at a lost season.

Lock did exactly that, though, throwing the game-winner to rookie receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba with 33 seconds left on the clock.

Seattle’s 20-17 win was one of the most remarkable games of the year, and it seemed that everybody had something to say about. Including the now 10-4 Eagles, who have some things to figure out in a big hurry.

Emotional Drew Lock says “I’ll remember that play call for the rest of my life”

Seahawks backup quarterback Drew Lock put together the drive of his life — one he’ll never forget — to beat the Eagles in the final seconds.

SEATTLE — 2023 has been the year of the backup quarterback in the NFL, and on Monday night. Drew Lock of the Seattle Seahawks added his name to the list — and may have pushed himself near the top.

The 6-7 Seahawks were fighting for their season against the 10-3 Philadelphia Eagles, and with starting quarterback Geno Smith’s groin injury, Seattle didn’t really know who would start the game until the game started. Smith warmed up before the game, but was unable to go, so Lock got the nod.

Things didn’t go well for Lock and his offense in the first half — they scored just three points in the first 30 minutes of the game, and Lock completed 10 of 14 passes for 60 yards. But the defending NFC champion Eagles continued their own struggles on both sides of the ball, and with 1:52 left in the game, down 17-13 ,Lock at least had a shot… though he’d have to travel 92 yards in a very short time to make the most of it.

Receiver D.K. Metcalf did a lot to define that final drive with three catches for 58 yards…

…which set up Lock’s 29-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba with 33 seconds remaining.

The Eagles, who had passed defensive play-calling responsibilities from Seen Desai to Matt Patricia this week, were not prepared for any of this, especially the touchdown. As Lock explained after the game, when both he and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron saw cornerback James Bradberry playing flat-footed in man coverage against Smith-Njigba, everyone on the Seattle side knew good news was about to happen.

Lock, the 2019 second-round pick of the Denver Broncos out of Missouri, had never been able to establish himself as an NFL starter, which of course led to some doubts in his head over time. But in this moment, he understood what he had to do, and he went out and did it.

49ers long-snapper Taybor Pepper has an NSFW sign-language response to DK Metcalf

DK Metcalf likes to use sign language to trash talk, and the Niners long-snapper was ready with a response.

If you’re DK Metcalf and you’re going to learn to talk trash in American Sign Language, then you’re open to getting responses right back in ASL.

That was the case on Sunday, after Metcalf once again delivered an ASL message after a touchdown (apparently it was “my little dog w-o-o-f” after he scored against the San Francisco 49ers). But the Seattle Seahawks receiver lost his composure and was ejected for a melee in the loss.

So Taybor Pepper, the Niners’ long-snapper, delivered a message in ASL after the game, apparently signing, “14, [expletive] around and found out.”

There you go. Like I said, this was bound to happen at some point:

Geno Smith passes for three touchdowns in seven seconds, and the third actually counted

The Seahawks threw three touchdown passes at the end of the first half against the Cowboys, and the last one actually counted!

The Seattle Seahawks had a 21-20 lead over the Dallas Cowboys at the half of their Thursday night game, which made them the first Cowboys opponent to lead Dallas at halftime in Dallas.

Not that it was easy. With 11 seconds left in the first half, Geno Smith hit receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for that looked like a 30-yard touchdown. But after a replay review by referee Clete Blakeman in which Blakeman had time to binge every season of “Succession,” it was determined that Smith-Njigba did not have control of the catch.

Then, it looked as if Smith hit tight end Noah Fant for a one-yard touchdown, but Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy called time out just in time.

And then, finally and mercifully, with seven seconds left on the clock, Smith’s one-yard touchdown pass to D.K. Metcalf.

Sadly for the Seahawks, the NFL Rule Book states that a team can only score one touchdown per drive, but Seattle gave it their best.

Gilmore vs Metcalf could be key matchup in Cowboys-Seahawks tilt

Of all the matchups between the Cowboys and Seahawks in Week 13, the most intriguing is when Stephon Gillmore and D.K. Metcalf line up. | From @ReidDHanson

The Week 13 battle between the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks features a number of storylins. Both teams are in second place within their respective divisions and both have hopes a late-season surge can lead to  division crowns.

The Cowboys’ offensive line has finally take shape. LT Tyron Smith is regaining a form not seen in years. He’s currently ranked No. 2 by PFF and could be in store for his first Pro Bowl season since 2021.

Opposite him at RT is Terence Steele, who up until recently has struggled to bounce back from a season-ending injury suffered last December. Steele has posted two strong games in a row and could be on an equally as impressive upswing.

Both men will be put to the test by Seattle’s Boye Mafe. Mafe, an EDGE who has played 275 snaps on the left and 177 snaps on the right, can rush from either side. When he sees a matchup that favors him, he’ll attack it. Expect him to test both OTs.

Another key battle to watch will be between the Cowboys’ safeties and Geno Smith. The Seahawks are loaded with downfield weapons and keeping their big plays down to a minimum will be of high priority. Seattle should expect more 2-high looks than normal from Dallas as the Cowboys try to keep things under wraps and caged in.

But the key matchup to watch on Thursday has to be between Stephon Gillmore and D.K. Metcalf. Dallas isn’t married to the idea of shadowing WRs with a specific CB in most games. In fact, they rarely do it this season and haven’t since Week 4, but matchups like this seem like the perfect opportunity.

Metcalf, 6-foot-3, 229-pounds, is an enormous task for anyone. But Gilmore’s long arms and veteran savvy make him the ideal candidate to limit his damage. If there was ever a reason to have him travel, this seems like the time.

Only a few weeks ago Dallas pushed Gillmore into A.J. Brown’s direction. Against Gillmore, Brown caught all four passes he was thrown, but he was kept to just 42 yards on the day. Gillmore was smart enough to reduce the damage and stay between his WR and the endzone. He will be asked to do the same against Metcalf, a player who has the speed to break off a long run from anywhere.

While Metcalf is fast and powerful, he doesn’t have the agility or move with the same suddenness as the other Seattle WRs. It makes Gillmore the ideal matchup for Metcalf and DaRon Bland best used elsewhere.

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D.K. Metcalf clearly got Ja’Marr Chase’s attention when he predicted Devon Witherspoon would shut him down

Word travels fast.

If you believe in the power of bulletin-board material, Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase could be in for a big game come Sunday. And he’ll have Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf to thank for that.

During Thursday’s media availability, Metcalf was asked about Chase. And to give Metcalf credit here, he started his remarks by offering tons of praise for the Bengals receiver. He mentioned all the things that Chase does well and added that he came away impressed with his touchdown against the Cardinals. But you just know that Metcalf couldn’t stop there — he had to play up his own teammate.

That was when he predicted that rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon would get the better of Chase on Sunday.

But in today’s NFL, world travels fast. And it doesn’t matter if you spend 20 seconds praising an opponent, the four seconds of predicting a bad game for Chase was all that Chase needed to hear.

He let everyone know about it too because shortly after the remarks, Chase retweeted the video.

Again, Metcalf didn’t say anything wrong here, but players will find anything they can for some extra motivation (just look at the Phillies-Braves series). Fans still had plenty of thoughts on Chase’s retweet. If anything, Metcalf put extra pressure on Witherspoon to perform with those comments.

Dan Campbell’s 4th down gambles become costly in Lions loss to Seahawks

“Dan Campbell got in Dan Campbell’s way,” writes Russell Brown. Is he right?

I’ll be the first to say that I love Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell. I love the way he’s turned this Lions team around and has every player buying into what he’s preaching. Regardless of the outcome for the Lions games, they’re going to play tough and make life difficult for the opposition.

Playing tough and being aggressive has its perks. We see it weekly with this Lions team. However, being overly aggressive is costly and in Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks, Dan Campbell proved just how costly it can be.

Some fans will blame the referees and the penalties. News flash: the Seahawks had more penalties called on them than the Lions. The Seahawks had 9 penalties called on them for 80 yards. Meanwhile, the Lions only had 4 penalties called on them for 24 yards. Sure, there were missed calls in some key spots, but the Lions had chances to put points on the board and they didn’t.

For example, the second drive of the game for the Lions offense. They ran 12 plays and gained 57 yards while eating up over six minutes of the game clock. But the drive stalled on 3rd and 1 with David Montgomery losing 3 yards due to a missed block from Sam LaPorta and it set up a long 4th-and-4 on the 31-yard line.

Most teams would have taken the points and attempted the field goal. That wasn’t the case for Dan Campbell. Rather than potentially going up 10-to-7 against a Seattle team that has won 5 straight games against them, they went for it and didn’t convert.

In hindsight, Campbell looks like a legend if the Lions convert on 4th down but instead, he looks like a fool. We know he’s not a fool but the aggressiveness is foolish when you need to win these types of games. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only 4th down attempt that occurred for Detroit.

Near the end of the 3rd quarter, the Lions were at their own 45-yard line and went for it on 4th-and-2. Sure, we can drool over another gutsy call but this one put the defense in a tough spot. It’s a spot that they shouldn’t have to be in as they showed all game that they were struggling in stopping the Geno Smith led passing attack.

At that point, there was a chance to pin the Seahawks near their own end zone with a ruckus crowd at Ford Field behind them. Instead, it felt like the wind was taken out of the Lions sail after not converting another 4th down despite being up 21-17 at this point in the game.

To make matters worse, the aggressiveness started to wear off at the end of the game. During the Lions final possession of the game, they had 1:44 on the clock with their timeouts in their back pocket and the ball at midfield.

But all of that aggressiveness we’ve seen from Dan Campbell over the years went astray. He got conservative, ran five offensive plays and stalled their own drive by not taking a timeout until there were 26 seconds left on the clock. There were no shots to the end zone despite Josh Reynolds already hauling in two touchdowns.

Sure, injuries started to catch up to the Lions. The team went into the game down Taylor Decker, and they lost David Montgomery and James Houston during it. Despite Amon-Ra St. Brown getting dinged up, he made his way back onto the field and was on the field for the Lions final offensive possession.

None of that should matter though.

The offense was still making plays with contributions from Reynolds, Raymond, LaPorta and Gibbs. They were driving and headed toward the end zone. But the aggressive head coach that we’ve known since his arrival in Detroit suddenly got conservative. Penalty flags and challenge flags didn’t get in Dan Campbell’s way.

Dan Campbell got in Dan Campbell’s way.

We can eat humble pie and move on to the Atlanta Falcons. That’s fine. But this feels like a loss that we’ll be talking about again at some point this winter. Certainly, I hope I’m wrong, but this type of loss feels all too familiar here in Detroit.

The question that will linger from this loss to the Seahawks won’t be about what happens if the Lions don’t turn the football over. Instead, it’ll be about why is it acceptable for Dan Campbell to be aggressive on the 2nd and 7th drive of the game but not the last one?

If Campbell wants to be known as the guy who puts it all out on the table and is always swinging for the fences, that’s fine. However, his team and we fans are owed the consistency of him being that guy. Not the one that sits on the fence of being aggressive and conservative.