Seahawks vs. Falcons; Big Test
This Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons might by one of the more intriuguing contests of the season. Atlanta comes in as the league yardage leader for total offense and passing while Seattle ranks No. 1 for fewest yards allowed. On the other hand, the Seahawks ranks only 16th in total offense and 12th in passing. The Falcons defense is 26th in yards allowed. For Seattle, the Falcons represent an especially challenging opponent. The Seahawks have not faced a formidable offense yet this season. Three of their prior opponents — Los Angeles , Miami and San Francisco — rank among the four least productive offenses in the league, and Seattle lost one of those games.
The Falcons have not lost since their Week 1 defeat against Tampa Bay. They have since defeated both of last year’s Super Bowl participants in their last two games. Even though their defense isn’t living up to their offense, they have a fourth-quarter pass rush that has allowed them to close out wins. The team is coached by Dan Quinn, Seattle’s defensive coordinator in 2013 and ’14 seasons, when the team went to back-to-back Super Bowls.
It is the first game between the teams since November 2013 when Seattle defeated the Falcons in Atlanta, where the previous season had ended in a playoff loss to the Falcons. Sunday’s game represents the Falcons first trip to Seattle since 2011, a game won by Atlanta.
The quarterback matchup is hard to overlook. Matt Ryan has never been better with already more than 1,700 yards for the season. Russell Wilson, who entered the NFL four years after Ryan, is at his best in a different way, playing through a knee injury while working behind one of the league’s most questionable lines. He hasn’t missed a start in his NFL career.
