Metcalf came through when Seahawks needed it vs. Eagles

RENTON — It didn’t take long for DK Metcalf to think of his favorite catch from the final drive of Monday night’s 20-17 win over the Eagles.

“Jaxon’s,” Metcalf said, referring to the 29-yard fingertip grab by Seattle rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a touchdown with 28 seconds left that gave the Seahawks their winning points in what was pretty much a “win-or-else” game to keep playoff hopes alive. “I didn’t score. Jaxon’s catch was the best one on that drive.”

It was a good answer that typified Metcalf’s increasing habit of passing off accolades and attention to others.

But as coach Pete Carroll pointed out Wednesday, Smith-Njigba’s catch never happens if Metcalf hadn’t proven he’s worth every penny of his $24 million-a-year average salary during the first nine plays of that drive.

With the season on the line and Seattle needing to go 92 yards in 1:52 to save it, it was Metcalf who did most of the work in carrying the Seahawks down the field with three receptions for 58 yards.

“I don’t know with all of the things that were going on that we talked about it clearly enough,” Carroll said. “What an incredible finish that he had that game. He just rocked the house. … I just think he took the game over, is what it looked like, and I thought it was a great thing to watch.”

Metcalf had just two catches for 21 yards before the final drive, though he had also drawn a 20-yard pass interference penalty that set up a Seattle field goal in the first half when the Seahawks were down 10-0.

It’s possible a younger Metcalf might have been susceptible to being a non-factor early affect him later, but that wasn’t the case Monday.

“Just playing 60 full minutes and not giving up,” Metcalf said of how he approached the game. “Even on the last drive or the drive before that, just continue playing.”

After Lock’s first pass of the drive went off Noah Fant’s hands, coming perilously close to an interception, he got the drive going with a toss on a slant that Metcalf dived to catch and turn into an 18-yard gain.

Then, on a second-and-5 two plays later, Metcalf reached with his left hand as he fell backward while colliding with Eagles cornerback James Bradberry to corral a pass for a 6-yard gain to the 37.

Three plays later came Metcalf’s real, well, money play — a leaping catch between two defenders (Bradberry and Sydney Brown) for 34 yards to the Eagles 29.

“Every play — the route that he ran to get open, the low ball that he catches, the other phenomenal grab that he makes in traffic and hangs on to a football that nobody would think you could catch,” Carroll enthused Wednesday.

What happened next, though, seemed to impress Carroll almost as much, as Metcalf had the presence of mind to quickly get up and run the ball to the middle of the field to be set in play by an official.

“If you noticed, he was really focused,” Carroll said. “He expedited the timing of the sequence as well. He had the ball in his hands almost 60 yards of that drive, but he had to keep the rhythm of it going, of getting the ball back to the official and doing the disciplined things.”

It didn’t necessarily matter as Metcalf had been ruled out of bounds, so the clock stopped.

But Metcalf was taking no chances, which to Carroll meant as much as any seconds that might have been saved had the clock been running.

“He did everything just impeccably,” Carroll said.

And for all the attention that has come Metcalf’s way for some moments this year when he lost his cool — one last week when he was ejected late in a loss against the 49ers — that play showed that when Seattle’s season most depended on it, he was as clearheaded as the team needed him to be.

Reminded of that sequence Wednesday, Metcalf said he’s never forgotten a moment of tough love he received just a couple of weeks into his rookie year.

Seahawks coaches, as surely do all in the NFL, emphasize to players the importance of saving time in late-game situations and getting the ball to officials as quickly as possible.

One day, Metcalf didn’t do it — throwing the ball instead of running it over — and received a tongue-lashing from Carroll and then-offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who also ordered that the two-minute drill had to start over because of his mistake.

“I got in trouble my rookie year for not doing that,” Metcalf said. “That still haunts me to this day to where I’m not trying to be the guy that messes that up. That’s where all of that stems from.”

What happened before the play, though, also illustrated Metcalf’s increasing ability to master the moment in its most chaotic.

Metcalf said the play called for him to run a curl pattern. But at the line of scrimmage, Lock signaled for a go route instead.

“Hats off to Drew for on the last catch that I had,” Metcalf said. “I had a curl route at first and then he looked out and gave me a signal and changed my route. Just kudos for him for seeing that, putting the ball up and just giving me the opportunity to make a play.”

Lock, though, handed all the praise back to Metcalf after the game. Early in the game, Lock missed on a throw to Metcalf in the red zone.

“I went up to him (and said), ‘My bad, man.’ ” Lock recalled. “He goes, ‘Quit apologizing to me, just go out there and play.’ OK, all right. You’re right. I’m going to go out there, we’re just going to ball, sling this thing around. Sure enough. I appreciate him keeping his composure throughout the night. Him being him, he wants the ball every play. When you’re not getting it, staying cool, staying calm, knowing that next play he might get it. I appreciate that out of him tonight.”

The winning TD came out of a formation that earlier in the game saw Lock throw it to Metcalf. But this time, the Eagles decided to cover Smith-Njigba one-on-one on the right sideline, with Metcalf lined up slot left, drawing double coverage and happy to share in the glory as he saw the play develop.

“Leaving the huddle, I heard Drew tell Jaxon, ‘Hey if it’s one-on-one I’m coming to you,’ ” Metcalf said. “And while I’m motioning across, I’m like, ‘I pray it’s one-on-one’ because I was tired. I did not want to keep going. I wanted Jaxon to score or somebody to score just so we can get back to the sideline. But once I saw the safety drop down on his side and I saw Drew launch it over there I was like, ‘Yeah he’s about to catch it.’ “