Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf diagnosed with knee strain

RENTON — Is hulking DK Metcalf truly indestructible?

The Seahawks will find out this week.

Coach Mike Macdonald confirmed imaging tests Monday back in Seattle showed Metcalf has a grade-one strain of the medial collateral ligament in his knee.

His status for the first-place Seahawks (4-3) and their game Sunday against AFC East-leading Buffalo (5-2) at Lumen Field is in doubt.

“He’s got, I think it’s a minor MCL. Timeline, not sure. Doesn’t look like it’s a long-term injury,” Macdonald said.

“I know you guys know DK. We know DK. He’s going to probably do anything humanly possible to play in this game, I’d imagine. And we’ll assess it as the week unfolds here.”

The Cleveland Clinic states the recovery time for grade-one MCL strains are typically one to three weeks.

The Seahawks the next three weeks host the Bills (5-2) and the Los Angeles Rams (2-4) then have their bye week.

The 6-foot-4, 238-pound Metcalf has missed only one game in his six NFL seasons with Seattle. That was last season.

Metcalf caught a game-turning touchdown pass from Smith in the final seconds of the first half Sunday in Atlanta.

It was one of his four catches on seven targets for 99 yards and first TD in nearly a full month, since Seattle’s week-three win over Miami Sept. 22.

He was injured leaping to catch Geno Smith’s pass out of bounds late in the third quarter. Falcons safety Justin Simmons hit Metcalf’s legs as he leaped, causing the receiver to topple and land hard on his knee beyond the sideline boundary.

A few minutes later, he left the field on the back of a motorized cart.

Smith was stunned at the sight.

“Oh man, my heart dropped,” the veteran quarterback said. “I was over there just telling him, like, ‘Massages on me throughout the week, man.’”

Smith may need to double up on those for Metcalf this week.

“I put him in a tough spot right there,” Smith said of his throw that was wider past the sideline than the QB intended.

“Whatever I’ve got to do to get him back healthy, however we’ve got to get him back — because he’s a guy that we need — we’re going to make sure we do.”

Fourth wide receiver Jake Bobo got many of his 29 snaps, nearly half Seattle’s 60 on offense in the game, in the fourth quarter after Metcalf left.

Macdonald said if Metcalf can’t play against the Bills Bobo would move into the top three of wide receivers with Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Metcalf has been off to the second-best start to a season in his NFL career. He has 35 receptions for 568 yards and three touchdowns. His yards are second in the NFL among all wide receivers.

Cornerback situation

Injuries to starters Riq Woolen and Rayshawn Jenkins plus to top reserve cornerback Tre Brown had Macdonald mixing and matching new players in new spots in the secondary against the Falcons Sunday.

Josh Jobe made his first Seattle start, one day after the team elevated the former Eagles cornerback from the practice squad. He started three games last year for Philadelphia.

Rookie fifth-round pick Nehemiah Pritchett made his first NFL start at the other cornerback spot.

With Rayshawn Jenkins on injured reserve with what appears to be a broken hand, Coby Bryant started at safety next to Julian Love. It was Bryant’s first start in 12 months.

Why?

“He earned it,” Macdonald said, noting again how hard and well Bryant has practiced since training camp.

The only regulars who started in the Seahawks’ secondary at Atlanta were Love and Devon Witherspoon, who started and played 66 of 69 defensive snaps almost entirely inside as the fifth, nickel defensive back.

Yet Seattle held Kirk Cousins, who had 509 yards passing with four touchdowns beating Tampa Bay two weeks before, to just 232 yards with one touchdown Sunday. Love and Bryant each had an interception.

It was Bryant’s first. He also raced up from deep safety against the Falcons’ running game and had a game-high 11 tackles.

And the Seahawks’ three-game losing streak ended.

“Yeah, no flinch,” Macdonald said of his makeshift secondary. “Like I said, you’re excited to see those guys go perform. And they did. I thought they played a great game. They’ll learn from it and keep growing.

“Nehemiah had a little ankle there at the end, but it doesn’t look serious.”

Macdonald believes Woolen has a chance to practice in “some capacity” Wednesday. The coach said Brown may still be a bit until he gets back on the field. Both sprained their ankles in Seattle’s loss to San Francisco two games ago, Oct. 10.