During Thursday night's game between the Seattle Seahawks and 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 called into action 11 times but managed just three catches for 48 yards – his lowest total yardage output in a game since Week 1.

Initially, the 49ers' defensive strategy likely called for cornerback Charvarius Ward to shadow Metcalf the entire game. However, after suffering a bruised knee in Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Ward was unable to play in such a short week.

“It was close enough to a decision during the game,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game. “He practiced (before the game) and it was close, but it didn’t work.”

This left Deommodore Lenoir responsible for limiting Metcalf's influence. When asked about Metcalf's feelings during the game, Lenoir said candidly: “All I know is you don't mess with the hyena. Seriously, that's all I knew. I don’t know what he was doing there.”

Earlier in the week, Ward noted that Metcalf frequently trash-talked during his previous encounters on the field. However, that talk has died down in recent meetings, suggesting that Metcalf respects Ward's game.

After Thursday night's performance, the same respect could develop for Lenoir.

“There was a lot of talk out there,” Lenoir said of his match against Metcalf. “I mean, you’re going to compete. It's football. So we left it with football. But one of us showed up today. …He will talk. I mean, that kind of boosts a guy's confidence when you don't have to talk, but (for me) the proof is in the pudding.”