Tyreek Hill, who is having a record-breaking season, was the main topic of conversation in the third episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks: In Season with the Miami Dolphins.
The name DK Metcalf was brought up after he broke away for his own big game in Week 13, with Miami’s WR room clamoring for Hill, regarded as one of the NFL’s fastest players, to race the Seattle Seahawks’ speedy wideout.
Metcalf reached 22.2 miles per hour on his 73-yard touchdown against the Cowboys on Thursday night, which is the fastest by any ball carrier in 2023, according to Next Gen Stats.
Miami’s wide receivers room loved the stat and offered a challenge to their superstar. Dolphins’ wide receiver coach, Wes Welker, told Hill he should race Metcalf.
Welker was quickly followed up by a less than enthusiastic Hill, who said,
“I’m not racing nobody. I’ll probably won’t never hit that again,”
Hill told the other receivers.
While Hill thinks he is far off from Metcalf and reaching that same speed he once achieved, he is closer than some might think.
Hill is the second-fastest ball carrier at 22.0 mph this year, according to Next Gen Stats. Hill also reached a top speed of 21.68 mph in Week 13, which is the fifth-fastest speed by a ball carrier this season.
If that’s not enough, Hill has reached 20 mph or more 16 times this season, which is 10 more than the next closest ball carrier.
On Sunday, against the Commanders, Hill became the fourth player in NFL history and first in the Super Bowl era to reach 1,400 or more receiving yards and 10 or more receiving TDs in the first 12 games of a season, per NFL Research.
Hill also remains on pace to become the first WR in history to tally 2,000 receiving yards in a season.
Overall, Hill may not want to race anyone, but the stats don’t lie — he is still the Cheetah.
If you were tuned into the Seahawks’ “Thursday Night Football” game against the Cowboys, you might’ve thought Metcalf’s touchdown was playing in fast-forward on your TV.
Seattle’s star WR torched Cowboys CB DaRon Bland on a post route, taking off to the races once QB Geno Smith delivered the ball.
According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Metcalf reached a top speed of 22.23 miles per hour on the 73-yard touchdown. That is the fastest speed recorded by a ball-carrier since Raheem Mostert (23. 09 mph) in Week 2 of the 2020 NFL season.
Metcalf just narrowly edged out Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (22. 01 mph in Week 5) for the fastest speed of the 2023 NFL season.
Hill, unsurprisingly, still has the fastest speed ever recorded in the Next Gen Stats era, reaching a blazing 23. 24 miles per hour on a kickoff return in 2016.
Metcalf’s speed and physicality have drawn plenty of attention since his historic NFL combine back in 2019. Metcalf ran a 4.33 40-yard dash and while that was only the fourth-fastest time in his class, it is the fastest 40-time in NFL history for any player over 225 lbs.
Metcalf scored the Seahawks’ first touchdown of the game, running for 73 yards with no one in sight, and in doing so, he became the fastest ball carrier this season at 22.23 mph, topping Tyreek Hill’s previous record of 22.01 mph.
Fastest ball carrier this season at 22.23 mph, topping @cheetah’s 22.01 mph in Week 5 https://t.co/CsMLCSBVSX
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) December 1, 2023
Notably, Metcalf’s carry has broken all records since Week 2 of the 2020 season, when Raheem Mostert ran at a speed of 23. 09 mph for an 80-yard TD.
An amazed fan wrote, “He ran after the catch like he was performing for stat cast.”
One fan wasn’t surprised by his speed and noted, “We watched him run damn near 80 yards on track down Budda Baker. This fan tagged Tyreek Hill and said, “Shots fired @cheetah. Guess you’ll have to hit 22.3 Sunday.”
Wild: #Seahawks WR DK Metcalf (6’4 and 236 pounds) just reached the highest speed of any #NFL player this season, clocking in at a top speed of 22.23 MPH on his 73 yard touchdown, per @NFLprguy
The previous player to hold the top speed was #Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill at 22.01 MPH.… pic.twitter.com/BvIhapJCM6
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 1, 2023
Things will not get easy for Seattle as they are set to take on the 49ers and the Eagles in the upcoming weeks.
With a 6-6 record, the team is now the 7th seed below the Vikings and has just a 27% chance of making the playoffs.
Fans reacted as follows:
Cheetah about to do 25 mph
— Tylor Giles (@GilesGamingX) December 1, 2023
I think Tyreek slowed down before ever hitting (or needing) his top speed where DK intentionally put the throttle down all the way.
Tyreek can do that because he accelerates so quickly that everyone knows its over and then he coasts in.
— Jason Looney (@jlooney2) December 1, 2023
I can still vividly recall when he ran down baker after interception from end zone with baker having a huge start on him
— Michael (@Michael90109126) December 1, 2023
This shows that Tyreek isn’t just speed, but Tyreek has hands and route running
— Rojon98 (@TyreekHill91) December 1, 2023
Metcalf gonna have higher top end cuz his legs are longer. Cheetah gets to top speed faster. Metcalf would beat cheetah on a 100. 40 metcalf gets cooked
— Kurtiss Lindsey (@KurtissLindsey1) December 1, 2023
I think it was @KirkHerbstreit who recently noted the gulf between 22 mph and 21 mph is extraordinary! Either way, 22.23 mph looks INSANE!
— 🏈 Leonardo di Arnø ™ (@NFLbeatster) December 1, 2023
https://twitter.com/starwarsfanhere/status/1730571175661850723.
