James Bradberry has been one of the elite lockdown corners in the NFL this year. He has shut down some of the league’s most dominant wideouts but has his biggest test of the season (literally) with D.K. Metcalf on Sunday. The 6’4″, 229-pound receiver has already eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards (most in NFL) and has caught nine touchdown passes. As Joe Judge put it, “You don’t have many guys walking the earth like him.”
The Biggest Test of the 2020 Season Yet for James Bradberry
On top of his monstrous size, Metcalf has world-class speed. Together these traits make him one of the most explosive receivers to have entered the league in years. He has racked up 12 catches of 30+ yards this season which is four more than any other player. But as Metcalf has powered his way to an incredible season thus far, Bradberry has quietly been just as dominant.
Quietly Dominant
When a superstar wideout is on their game, you can’t miss them. But when a lockdown corner is playing well, you never see them. That’s how it’s been this year for Bradberry. A few times a game you’ll see him dive in and break up a pass, but other than that quarterbacks don’t throw his way a ton. According to Pro Football Focus, Bradberry has the best single-coverage grade in the NFL (85.2) and despite not being targeted a lot, has a league-leading 15 forced incompletions. He has also snagged three interceptions and forced a fumble through 11 games this year. Bradberry has been a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks and will have an MVP candidate in Russell Wilson to try and deal with on Sunday.
D.K. Metcalf Put on a Show on Monday Night
The Seattle Seahawks have been hot as of late coming off a win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. The matchup for Metcalf was All-Pro cornerback, Darius Slay, who has been named a Pro-Bowler in each of the last three seasons. At the end of the night, Metcalf had 10 catches for 177 yards. He looked bigger, faster, and stronger than everyone else on the field ripping off big plays including a 53-yard reception. At times, the plays he makes seem simply un-guardable.
Last Word on James Bradberry vs D.K. Metcalf
At the end of the day, this one is going to be beautiful to watch. An individual matchup between superstars that each personifies the identity of their team. Metcalf is electric. He’s big, strong, and fast and looks to initiate contact himself, just like the Seattle offense as a whole. Bradberry is smart. His technique is perfect and always seems to be in the right position. He plays confidently and comes up with opportunistic turnovers which is a perfect reflection of the scrappy Giants defense this year. It’s a huge game in December between two division leaders. And the outcome could be decided by how much or how little we hear the name, D.K. Metcalf, on Sunday.
