© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
We all saw it. D.K. Metcalf, again and again and again, terrorizing Ahkello Witherspoon along the Seahawks’ sideline, with a couple of catches from Tyler Lockett inflicting some addition pain.
The numbers don’t favor Witherspoon. Metcalf caught four of his six targets against Witherspoon for 47 yards and a touchdown. Lockett had two catches on two targets for 24 yards and a touchdown against Witherspoon.
For the final drive, Emmanuel Moseley replaced Witherspoon, who was targeted just as aggressively.
Moseley allowed just two catches on five targets to Metcalf for 34 yards, though one of those was a sure first down that Metcalf dropped. Unlike Witherspoon, however, he broke up a would-be game-winning touchdown.
While defensive coordinator Robert Saleh declined on Wednesday to say just what prompted the switch on the game-deciding drive, Witherspoon was happy to oblige
“They felt that the Seahawks were targeting my side, which … I play across from Richard Sherman,” Witherspoon said. “Like, OK. But that’s what I do, that’s what I signed up for and that was the reason.”
Witherspoon said he would retain his starting job for Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings (which he was told at the start of the week), a subject that has reared its head frequently, thanks to Witherspoon’s not-quite-so-stellar return after an eight-week absence and Moseley’s excellence in his stead.
That news was met with groans from some folks online, who believe Moseley should start (replying to the below tweet):
Ahkello Witherspoon said he’ll start Saturday, and on his game and being benched vs. Seahawks: “I think I played average, but I’m not an average player. So that's a poor game to me.” #49ers
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) January 8, 2020
Except, while Witherspoon was far from exceptional against the Seahawks, his performance, aside from the time Metcalf beat him badly for a touchdown (see below), wasn’t quite so dire.
He was the victim of three main factors: Sherman playing opposite him and almost never being targeted, the lack of a consistent pass rush from a Dee Ford-less defensive line and the combination of Russell Wilson’s rocket precision and Metcalf’s strength and size.
Below is an example (open the thread for two more examples) of times in which Witherspoon allowed a catch to Metcalf. Metcalf pushes off, and Wilson, with just enough time in the pocket, throws an inch-perfect pass that Witherspoon just nearly recovers to defend, but can’t on the 6-foot-4, 229-pound Metcalf. That was a common thread in the game, with Witherspoon, who did have a pass breakup, just barely being beaten.
Three examples – No. 1, Metcalf pushes off and Wilson throws a perfect pass https://t.co/B4r35IDjZ1 pic.twitter.com/LK1hkySTj2
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) January 9, 2020
That’s why he termed his performance an “average” game, because he was competitive on almost every snap.
“I think I played average, but I’m not an average player, so that’s a poor game to me,” Witherspoon said. “Little things that just don’t need to happen. If it’s something that I’m not giving myself a chance to succeed, then that’s a poor game. I like to go out there and compete with my athleticism, give myself the best chance to win and when I limit myself, I feel like that’s a poor game. But in terms of competing, playing against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks, I think it was it was an average job, but still competitive in what I do on every rep. That was on tape.”
Saleh (and the tape) backed that up, saying “it would be inaccurate” to say that Witherspoon had a poor game, though he acknowledged, “There were a couple of situations where he got caught in a bad situation.”
Witherspoon saying he played “average” is less an excuse on his part, and more an acknowledgment of the fact he was genuinely close on just about every play. But his standard, as he said, is exponentially higher. He should be turning those close catches into breakups or interceptions.
“It’s just plays that I have to make if I’m going to be the player that I want to be and it’s not about good or bad,” Witherspoon said. “It’s just the potential I have in my body and what I’ve done already with my body, with my gifted abilities, I have to capitalize and make certain plays in football games and that’s it.
So when I don’t it’s not just like, ‘Oh, he’s a guy that we can just let slide for not making that type of play.’ No. I’m expected to make the great plays as often as possible. And so I have that type of standard and so when I don’t meet that, and it just comes off as ‘ehh,’ it’s not a good game for me. Let’s get better.”
Witherspoon expects Saturday to be less difficult than the 26-21 win against the Seahawks because the 49ers are returning Ford, Jaquiski Tartt and potentially Kwon Alexander, and Witherspoon is going from the off-schedule passing sadist of Wilson to the “hut-huuuuut,” voice-cracking legend of Kirk Cousins, who is tidy, meticulous and just a bit predictable.
“It makes my job easier, I guess, is first and foremost,” Witherspoon said. “Just knowing that those guys on the D-line can hunt and go finish the job. But in the same respect he has other skills that Russell doesn’t have so I gotta weigh it both ways. He’s a great competitor, great quarterback, just like Russell Wilson. He just has other strengths. And I think in terms of me just covering the guy the first time and not having to worry about the scrambles is the best part.”
He also praised Cousins’ accuracy and quick decision-making, not at all implying it would be an easy matchup. But having Ford hurry Cousins and Tartt and potentially Alexander on the backend to communicate with is a welcome sight.
“It’s the communication and it’s the comfort for me,” Witherspoon said. “I know when Kwon talks, his voice is comfortable. I know that I can speak to him about adjustments and he’s going to listen and apply and I can trust that on the next rep. Same thing with Tartt, it’s like I don’t even got to speak to my man and I know exactly what we’re in.
“And it’s not anything against Marcell [Harris] or Greenlaw who have replaced them. It just is what it is through time and experience and reps with one person. And so just having them at practice to kind of confirm those feelings that I’ve honestly missed has been great this week, and I’m excited to go out on Saturday.”
