Getty Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf at Lumen Field on October 22, 2023.
The Seattle Seahawks mustered a late fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Cleveland Browns 24-20 at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 29.
While wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught quarterback Geno Smith’s game-winning touchdown pass with 38 seconds left on the clock, the rookie was able to run clear into the end zone thanks to a clutch block by DK Metcalf.
Metcalf finished against the Browns with five receptions for 67 yards, short of what’s typically expected from the explosive $72 million receiver. During an appearance on Seattle Sports on Monday, October 30, however, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll revealed Metcalf was violently ill heading into their Week 8 matchup.
Per ESPN’s Brady Henderson, “Carroll said DK Metcalf was ‘sick as a dog’ Saturday night. ‘I mean, sick sick.'”
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Metcalf had to “to leave meetings at times to go get sick,” The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta posted. “When he got to the stadium he looked like he was wary and all that, but he said he could do it.”
The 6-foot-4, 236-pound receiver didn’t mention feeling sick during his postgame press conference. “I just try to execute the best of my ability,” the 6-foot-4, 235-pound receiver told reporters in the locker room after the game.
“I pride myself in blocking,” Metcalf noted. “I take it just as serious as a route that I run, especially if it was one of my brothers back there catching the ball. It was easy for me to execute.”
Thus far this season, Metcalf has recorded 27 receptions for 404 yards and two touchdowns in six games.
Pete Carroll Called the Seahawks’ Comeback a ‘Beautiful Illustration’ of Resilience
I’m still not over the Jamal Adams header. What a moment for him and the Seahawks.
Leads to the game winning, save saving touchdown drive.
Seahawks win. 5-2. NFC West leaders.
Does it get cooler than this?!
After blowing a 14-point lead over the Browns, the chances of Seattle making a comeback seemed slim. However, an extraordinary helmet deflection by safety Jamal Adams led to Julian Love’s first interception of the season, giving Smith and Co. a chance to fight back and they capitalized on it.
“Fantastic illustration of hanging in and staying in and keeping the belief going and giving ourselves a chance to win a football game,” Carroll told reporters after the game. “Beautiful illustration of that.”
“Geno leading that drive, guys keeping him clean up front so we could throw the ball to do what we needed to do to finish the game, guys coming through with catches, the touchdown play to win the game was a fantastic block by DK. Clean. The guy was looking right at him. That’s the call they make sometimes. I thought he did it perfectly. Jaxon got every inch out of that play in really championship fashion. A lot of really cool, exciting things that happened today. Fired up about it.”
The Seahawks are No. 1 in the NFC West
Pete Carroll, asked about #Seahawks being in first place in NFC West after week 8, feigns he didn’t know: “We’re what??? We are?”
He knew.
Following Sunday’s win, the Seahawks (5-2) edged out division rival, the San Francisco 49ers (5-3), for the No. 1 spot in the NFC West.
While the 49ers have lost three straight games, the Seahawks look like they’re on an upward trajectory, yet to reach their full potential. The Seahawks will look to continue their win streak when they travel Baltimore to take on the Ravens.
The Seahawks are considered 5.5-point underdogs heading into Week 9.