Ahkello Witherspoon, Tre Flowers, Seahawks defensive backs stop Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf
This week may be the most DK Metcalf has been defended in practices in his NFL career.
Ahkello Witherspoon put up with the hulking wide receiver’s pushing, then broke fast up the right sideline at the pass Russell Wilson threw to his star wide receiver Thursday. The 6-foot-4 Metcalf got his hands on the ball. But the 6-3 Witherspoon ripped it away for an incomplete pass to continue one of the most impressive camps of any Seahawk.
One of the officials the team hires to adjudicate practices erroneously flagged Witherspoon for pass interference. The former 49ers starter, who signed with Seattle for one year and $4 million guaranteed this spring, and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. howled in protest.
No matter. The film will show — again — a Seahawks defender denying Metcalf, the record-setter who has been undeniable against the NFL in his first two seasons.
A few minutes later, Wilson targeted a 15-yard out route by Metcalf to the opposite sideline. Cornerback Tre Flowers got onto Metcalf’s left, inside hip. As the pass arrived, Flowers darted to his right, in front of Metcalf, to knock the ball away.
With D.J. Reed out with a groin injury this week, Flowers is seizing his opportunity to win back the starting right cornerback job he had as a rookie in 2018 and in ‘19.
“He’s just come back fightin’, clawin’, scratchin’. He ain’t giving it up,” Carroll said this week.
“There is no sign that he’s been pushing to be anything other than the best he’s ever been. And he’s looked like it. He’s looked the best he’s ever looked.”
A few plays after Flowers’ latest gem, rookie cornerback Tre Brown made the most impressive play of his first two weeks in an NFL training camp. The fourth-round draft choice from Oklahoma, seven inches shorter than Metcalf, stayed behind him on an in route. Metcalf went up to catch Wilson’s pass with both his arms extended to the smoky sky. As Metcalf was pulling the ball into his 235-pound frame, the 185-pound Brown chopped his arms down onto the ball and Metcalf’s arms to break up that pass, too.
Heck, even fullback Nick Bellore, forced to play linebacker this week because of injuries to Cody Barton and Jon Rhattigan, stuck his right arm in front of Metcalf as Wilson’s quick throw was arriving into the right slot on a red-zone play.
That’s four times Thursday, and seven times in three practices this week by The News Tribune’s count, a Seahawks defender has denied Metcalf completions from Wilson.
That might be more times than Metcalf was successfully defended in all of training camp last year.
Witherspoon is cementing his spot as the new left cornerback replacing Shaquill Griffin, who signed in free agency with his home-state Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason.
“He’s going to be a great addition to our team,” Metcalf said of Witherspoon.
Of Flowers, Metcalf said: “Tre is stepping up and making plays on the ball.”
Metcalf did respond later in Thursday’s practice by out-fighting Flowers for a catch on another throw by Wilson to the sideline.
The new offense first-time coordinator Shane Waldron is installing is quick, with shorter pass patterns than Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Seahawks receivers ran most of the last few seasons. The new system taxes the defense to be ready and clear its assignments right away.
The shorter game provides cornerbacks with opportunities to make plays on the ball, if they stay tight to receivers coming off the snap.
That’s what’s been happening with encouraging regularity for Seattle’s defense in training camp this month.
“Pretty similar to what I saw in San Francisco,” Witherspoon said of Waldron’s Rams-like system from which he and the Seahawks’ new play caller came within the NFC West. “I think I’m comfortable going against it, just understanding the way they attack the defense and the way they put stress on you with different formations.
“But the biggest thing is that the caliber of guys we have over there (on offense) is unmatched. Just getting to compete with them every day, it’s been awesome.”
Expect to see on Saturday:
Carroll has remained mum and coy on how much Wilson and the front-line veterans will play Saturday in the preseason opener at Las Vegas.
Based on the many rest days given to veteran starters this week and the new combinations of players with primary units during team scrimmaging, expect to see these guys early and often in Seattle’s first preseason game: quarterbacks Geno Smith, Sean Mannion and Alex McGough (likely in that order), cornerbacks Pierre Desir and Gavin Heslop, wide receivers Cody Thompson, John Ursua, Aaron Fuller and Travis Toivonen, running backs Josh Johnson and Cameron Scarlett, tight end Cam Sutton, center Brad Lundblade and linebacker Nate Evans, among others.
Also in the 12th practice of camp...
*When starting left guard Damien Lewis missed practice Tuesday Carroll said Lewis was getting a rest day. Lewis also missed practices Wednesday and Thursday. Jordan Simmons has been playing a lot in Lewis’ place.
*Sutton made a play that was beyond his experience as a one-year free agent. He ran a wheel route up the right sideline against Evans, whom Seattle claimed off waivers from Jacksonville this offseason. Sutton cleverly did not let Evans know the pass from Smith was arriving in the end zone. He kept his head, eyes and hands down and looking upfield, as if the pass wasn’t coming his way. Then the ball went over the unsuspecting Evans’ helmet and into Sutton’s tucked-in arms for the touchdown. That’s a subtle trick even fifth-year veterans don’t always learn.
*Wilson gained a first down during an 11-on-11 scrimmage by catching his own, short pass batted at the line of scrimmage and running around left end. Defensive players always grumble when Wilson takes off running on plays in training camp, because they aren’t allowed to hit or even touch him.
*Linebacker Barton returned to practice after missing most of the last week injured.
*Wide receiver Penny Hart, a favorite of Wilson’s, missed another practice with his injured ankle.
*Safety and primary nickel defensive back Marquise Blair got what he termed a rest day. Ugo Amadi was the primary nickel Thursday.
*Cornerbacks Reed (groin) and Damarious Randall (groin) remained out.
*Defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche hasn’t practiced in a week because of his groin injury.
*Top rookie draft choice D’Wayne Eskridge remained out with a big-toe injury. The wide receiver has yet to practice in camp. He is on the physically-unable-to-perform list.
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 7:43 AM.
