Seahawks Hope to Avoid Bills NFC West Sweep
With the near comeback at New Orleans, Seattle was in what by their standards was a high-scoring game. What they gave up the in the 25-20 loss was the most points they have allowed in the seven games they have played this year. It was one more point than they surrendered in the 26-24 win over Atlanta two weeks ago. Those similar games bookended the 6-6 overtime tie against Arizona. This week’s game is against Buffalo and you’d think it’d be more like that game against the Cardinals than the games against the NFC South, but look again. The Bills have scored 25 or more in six of their eight games this year, while holding opponents to under 20 five times. They are 4-4 with all four wins coming in a winning streak after losing their first two. Buffalo has done good work for the Seahawks interests, with three of their wins coming against the NFC West. Meanwhile Seattle is 1-1-1 within the division. You’d think a Rex Ryan team would be serious on defense, but the team allowed 37 against the New York Jets and 28 to Miami. They shut out New England in what is the Patriots only loss this year. It came during Tom Brady’s suspension, and the Patriots defeated the Bills with Brady back in the lineup in the rematch last week. Buffalo is having a strong year from Tyrod Taylor, who has nine touchdowns against two interceptions, and hasn’t thrown an INT since the third game of the year. He’s the NFL’ls leading rusher among quarterbacks with 319 yards and three touchdowns. Taylor came to Buffalo last year after four years in Baltimore and broke out with 3,000-plus yards passing and 20 touchdowns against six INTs. He had over 500 rushing yards and was chosen to his first Pro Bowl. Taylor was the 11th of 12 QBs drafted in 2011, a sixth-rounder out of Virginia Tech. That was the year of Cam Newton, Jake Locker, and Andy Dalton. Taylor represents a challenge Seattle hasn’t seen much of this year in a running quarterback. After seeing the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Ryan, Carson Palmer, and Drew Brees in the last four games, Taylor will present some different problems.
Former Seahawks receiver Percy Harvin has come out of retirement to rejoin Buffalo this week. He was traded by Seattle during the 2014 season to the New York Jets. He followed Ryan to Buffalo last season and announced his retirement after one season with the Bills. He returns to a team that has a receiving corps that has had its share of injuries.
Buffalo was also the landing place for Patrick Lewis, who started nine games at center for Seattle last season. He has been sidelined all year due to a knee injury.
The last time Seattle played Buffalo was 2012 when they routed the Bills 50-17 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The last time Buffalo was here, where they will be on Sunday, was in 2004 when the Bills handed the Seahawks a 38-9 loss. It was one of three home-game defeats for a team that still managed the playoffs that year.
