For the Seattle Seahawks having one of the most physically gifted athletes is a luxury every other team wishes that they had. Despite having a 6-6 record and having just come off of a 41-35 defeat to the Cowboys, they are very much left in the playoff race. Their star receiver showed that despite the slow start, on any given play he can go off for a big gain. Being able to outrun any given coverage, just like he did Sunday will make it difficult to count the Seattle Seahawks out at this point of the season.
Seattle Seahawks Season Record Play
During the first quarter, from their own 27 yard line, Russel Wilson dropped back from shotgun. In between two defenders DK Metcalf grabbed a pass from a tight window and ran it in for a 73 yard score. While he may not have needed elite speed with his head start on the two defenders, his top notch pace made it so that there was never going to be a possibility for any defender to catch up to him.
DK. METCALF. 73. YARDS. pic.twitter.com/3ztN3eSAIQ
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 1, 2023
While his 6 catch, 134 yards, to go along with 3 total touchdowns were not enough to get the victory there is no question that opposing defenses game plan against him specifically each and every week.
Seattle Seahawks Receiver Takes Top Speed For Now
Heading in to this week it was unsurprising to most fans that the season fastest recorded time was held by Tyreek Hill. Having etched out his teammate Devon Achane in week 5 by sprinting at a 22.01 MPH pace.
In week 13 Tyreek Hill was not able to quite match his own previous record but he did once again crack the top 5 with a quick 21.68 MPH play on the field. However Metcalf was able to overtake Hill at the top of the leaderboard on the reception against the Cowboys, sprinting at a season league high 22.23 MPH.
With a season that is not over yet, that has some of the bigger matchups and most important games to play for, there is still plenty of room for movement within this particular leaderboard.
Seattle Seahawks Sprinting Potential
While sprinting, and running in football are two different sports, many have speculated that NFL athletes would be able to fair well in any sport if they dedicated time to train in another professional craft. Luckily for us we were able to see exactly how the Seattle Seahawks DK Metcalf competed in a race against olympic caliber short distance runners.
Two years ago, Metcalf competed in USA Track and Field Golden Games and Distance Open Games. While he did not qualify for the next round, he only came in .28 seconds slower than the winner of the initial heats. This was an impressive performance for an NFL body. He would realistically need to cut down his body mass to truly be able to compete as a pure track athlete. It showcased his natural speed and ability to quickly get to his top pace.
Whether he ends up deciding to dedicate himself to running, or remains a football player in his prime, fans will be able to appreciate what he offers the game, as the Seahawks hope to go on a late playoff push this year.
