The Seattle Seahawks are back to the friendly confines of Lumen Field to host the visiting Washington Commanders. Seattle will look to get back to their winning ways, following their disastrous 37-3 blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Seahawks are six point favorites over the Commanders, but they should not be taking them lightly.
Washington has been an interesting roller coaster of a team this year. They are 4-5, but two of those losses came at the hands of the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, despite scoring 31 points in both contests. However, they were also held to single scores in a 14-7 loss to the Giants and a 37-3 loss to Buffalo. Washington was blown out by the Chicago Bears, but overcame a 21-3 deficit to beat the Denver Broncos 35-33 on the road.
Needless to say, this is a hard team to get a feel for. They sold off their two star defensive ends, Chase Young and Montez Sweat, at the trade deadline, yet still held New England to 17 points last week. Under head coach Ron Rivera, they are almost always going to be a competitive team.
Historically speaking, the Washington football franchise is a tough matchup for the Seahawks. All time, Washington is 7-1 in Seattle during the regular season, and 4-0 at Lumen Field in particular. The last time they made the trek to the Emerald City, they escaped with a 17-14 win, thanks to kicker Blair Walsh missing three field goals.
Right now, the Seahawks offense is struggling, and have been for about a month – with the exception of their 17-point first quarter against the Browns. The Commanders defense is depleted, so in theory this should be a bounce-back opportunity for Geno Smith and Co.
Seattle will need a big game from their offense, as the defense does have a challenge to defend Washington. Quarterback Sam Howell is having a decent season, and is able to use his legs to make defenses pay. A disciplined game from the Seahawks defensive front will be crucial.
Prediction: Commanders upset Seahawks 27-23
Seattle needs a big game from their offense, but I’m not sure if it’s going to come this week. The Seahawks continue to struggle extending drives and finishing them in the end zone. Struggling on third down and in the red zone keeps opponents in games, even inferior ones.
The Commanders may not be a playoff team, but they are more than capable of pulling off upset wins against opponents who leave the doors open for them. Seattle’s secondary will be tested heavily by Washington’s weapons, especially from wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
If the Seahawks offense cannot get their act together, they could very well be in trouble. With the rematch against the Rams looming next week, this game has trap written all over it.
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