Seattle's Top-Ranked Defense Looks to Halt Atlanta's Offensive Momentum
Week six opens for the Seahawks with an afternoon match-up against the surging Falcons at home. Fresh off of a bye week, and plenty of time to rehab injuries, the Seahawks hope to get a decisive victory that may well set the tone for the remainder of the season. Sitting atop the NFC West, the Seahawks are already well-positioned for another playoff push, however a win against the 4-1 Falcons on Sunday could potentially be a determining factor for a future first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Okay, I got ahead of myself there, which as a Seattle sports fan, I should know better not to do. But even after a sluggish start, this this team is good. Damn good.
Are there ways Seahawks could improve down the stretch? Definitely. They need to get healthy, and stay healthy. They need to re-establish the running game that thus far has only produced 93 average rushing yards per game, and improve on third down conversions. They need to give Russell Wilson enough protection so he has ample time to establish himself in the pocket. In many ways, the Seahawks are still shaking off some growing pains, but this team is good. This defense, is damn good. Good enough to beat the Falcons, and here’s how they can do it.
The Hawks defense comes into week 6 ranked first in yards allowed, second in passing defense, and third in points allowed. Conversely, Atlanta comes to Seattle leading the league in total yards, passing yards, points, and just so happen to have Matt Ryan who leads the league in yards per completion. Atlanta, scores an average of 35 points per game. The Seahawks, allow just 13.5. This should be fun.
The Falcon’s are rolling off of a decisive 23-16 win against the Super Bowl champion Broncos when Matt Ryan continued his season-long dominant performance, passing for 267 yards and adding to his offense’s average of 479 yards per game. The Hawks defense might have lost momentum in the bye week, but four games into the season, they still lead the league in fewest yards allowed per game (264). If Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright can win battles in the backfield against Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, Bennett and company can put heavy pressure on Ryan, and Sherman can shut down Julio Jones, the Hawks can get the W.
But the Seahawks’ offense isn’t too shabby either. Despite Russell Wilson’s injuries to his knee and ankle, in the week four match-up against the Jets, Wilson completed passes to nine different targets. The formerly run-heavy offense has shown progress in developing an arsenal of steady-handed receivers who Wilson can trust to prevail in one-on-one match-ups. One of those receivers is Jimmy Graham, who flashed his athleticism in the last two games prior to the bye, recording over 100 yards in each of the match-ups. With Wilson healthy after a week of all-night rehab sessions, the key will be ample protection from the O-line to give him more time in the pocket, and hopefully keep him off of the training table. If RB Christine Michael can show up in the backfield, and take advantage of Atlanta’s shaky run defense that allows an average of 98.6 rushing yards per game, the Hawks offense can capitalize and continue their momentum from game four.
Number one offense vs. top-ranked defense. Potential playoff implications in week 6. Ryan vs. Wilson. Jones vs. Sherman. Quinn vs. Carroll. Yeah, this should be fun.
Oh, and one last thing? The last time the Seahawks faced an offense of this caliber was Super Bowl XLVIII against the Broncos. I think y’all remember how that one worked out.
