After their hard fought victory in week three, the Seattle Seahawks look to dismantle Washington in week five. The Hawks are coming off a bye week, and don’t play until October 6, so they should be well rested for Monday Night Football, in Washington.
On September 21, the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos squared off at CenturyLink Field, in a rematch of Super Bowl 48. In one of the most thrilling games of the young NFL season, the Seahawks emerged victorious in overtime, winning the contest by a score of 26-20.
The game featured an epic comeback by the Broncos, Russell Wilson channeling his inner wide receiver, and Aqib Talib laying the smack down on Zach Miller’s head. The winning touchdown came from none other than the enigmatic “Beast Mode,” who dove into pay dirt to seal the game. As many have stated, this matchup was much more exciting to watch than the lopsided destruction of the Broncos in February.
The Hawks take on an unpredictable Washington team, who has looked good with Kirk Cousins as their quarterback – well he was looking sensational up until week four. Against the Giants, Cousins put in a paltry performance, throwing one touchdown, and hurling up four interceptions.
Those numbers brought him back to reality, after putting in two monster days at the office. Those are also encouraging numbers for Hawks fans, as the ‘Legion of Boom’ has the potential to have a field day with the third year quarterback.
However, the Seahawks haven’t exactly been a shutdown pass defense, thus far. They are currently ranked 19th in the league, whereas Washington is sitting in 4th as a passing offense. The stats may be skewed, as the Hawks have played two elite passing offenses (Green Bay and Denver), and one very good passing offense (San Diego). Both teams have been stout against the run game, but Seattle has been a much better rushing offense.
With defensive back Deangelo Hall out of action, look for Seattle to take some shots downfield. Seattle’s passing game has been efficient and effective, but ranks 26th in the league. A key component of Seattle’s rushing offense, Seattle tight end Zach Miller will be taking a seat for 5-6 weeks, after undergoing a procedure on his ankle.
It remains to be seen whether Seattle’s rush will be affected by this major loss, and whether Marshawn Lynch can continue to dominate defenders. Despite this, look for Seattle to establish the run early. Seattle will want to try to shut down Washington’s run game early, forcing the ‘Skins to become one dimensional and throw the ball, potentially allowing the ‘Legion of Boom’ to capitalize on mistakes by Cousins.
Featured Image: Flickr.com / Neal
Follow Channels and Categories