Seattle started 2-0 and has managed a one-point win in each of the last two weeks, but Metcalf believes the clock is ticking before an offensive explosion can occur for a deep group of skilled players that hasn’t yet been able to get everything going at once.
Metcalf expects his offense, which features himself, Njigba, veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett, injured tight end Noah Fant, injured running back Kenneth Walker III and tailback Zach Charbonnet, to perform even better on Sunday.
“Because you have Lock, me and Jax and you still haven’t seen Noah,” Metcalf said. “You saw Ken in Week 1. Zach Charbonnet has yet to break out. So I think it’s a ticking time bomb for all of our stars on offense just to make their play.”
Njigba had his first 100-yard game in the Seahawks’ overtime win over the New England Patriots, matching a career-high 12 passes caught. Metcalf managed 129 yards and a touchdown on 10 passes caught as he and Njigba, the Seahawks’ 2023 first-round pick, stepped up their game with Walker sidelined by an oblique injury.
It remains to be seen whether the Seahawks’ aforementioned offensive explosion will occur in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins, as neither Walker nor Fant practiced on Wednesday.
Even without them, quarterback Geno Smith will take the lead.
When Metcalf was asked on Wednesday whether Smith was underrated, he took exception to that description.
“They’ve all been calling this guy undervalued for three years,” Metcalf said. “When is this going to stop?”
“He is definitely not underrated. He is an NFL quarterback, just like 31 other NFL quarterbacks. I don’t think the title ‘underrated’ should be used anymore. He is very successful at what he does.”
