During Thursday night's game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers, wide receiver DK Metcalf was visibly frustrated as the opposing defense effectively shut him down. Metcalf, a crucial part of Seattle's game plan, was targeted a game-high 11 times but managed only three catches for 48 yards—his lowest single-game yardage total since Week 1.
Initially, the 49ers' defensive strategy was likely to have cornerback Charvarius Ward shadow Metcalf throughout the game. However, after suffering a bruised knee during Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Ward was unable to play on such a short week.
"It was close enough to where it was a game-time decision," head coach Kyle Shanahan shared after the game. "He went and worked out (in pre-game), and it was close, but couldn't go."
This left Deommodore Lenoir responsible for limiting Metcalf's impact. When asked about Metcalf's emotions during the game, Lenoir candidly stated, "I just know the Hyena can't be f--ked with. For real, that's all I knew. I don't know what he was doing over there."
Earlier in the week, Ward noted that Metcalf often engaged in trash talk on the field during their previous matchups. However, this chatter has subsided in recent encounters, suggesting that Metcalf respects Ward's game.
After Thursday night's performance, that same respect may be developing for Lenoir.
"It was a lot of conversation out there," Lenoir said regarding his matchup against Metcalf. "I mean, you gonna compete. It's football. So we kept it football. But one of us showed up today. ... He gonna talk. I mean, that kind of builds a guy's confidence up when you don't have to talk, but [with] me, the proof is in the pudding."
Deommodore Lenoir on DK Metcalf:
"I just know the hyena can't be fucked with... there was a lot of conversation out there... we kept it football but you know, one of us showed up tonight."
"He going to talk... not like me, proof is in the pudding." pic.twitter.com/O9ihBL8o5L
— KNBR (@KNBR) October 11, 2024
