Week 4 (Oct. 4): Miami Dolphins
Impact player: OLB Emmanuel Ogbah
Ogbah was brought in over the offseason to help with the Dolphins’ struggling pass rush. Fresh off of perhaps his best season in the league, Ogbah was an absolute monster against both the pass (10.7 percent pressure rate) and the run (10.6 percent run stop rate). He has 19 batted passes in four years and posted a career-best 5.5 sacks in 2019. Seattle’s offensive line will need to shut Ogbah down if they hope to find success against a new-look Miami squad.
Week 5 (Oct. 11): Minnesota Vikings
Impact player: S Anthony Harris
Harris recorded his first career pick-six in 2019 against none other than Russell Wilson, and should be hungry to do it again in 2020. Although Harris is well-known as a tremendous safety, his stats from the past two years should put him into consideration for “elite” status – 10 interceptions (seven in 2019) and just one touchdown allowed. He and fellow veteran safety Harrison Smith provide one of the league’s best pairings in the backfield and should force Wilson to either stay on the ground or target Minnesota’s young and struggling cornerback unit.
Week 7 (Oct. 25) and Week 11 (Nov. 19): Arizona Cardinals
Impact player: TE Maxx Williams
Williams was Pro Football Focus’ top blocking tight end of 2019, giving opposing defenses fits with ratings of 84.7 in run blocking and 82.1 in pass blocking. He has been much more of a blocker than a receiver throughout his career, but nevertheless put up 202 yards on 15 catches last year, leaving him as a viable option in a pinch. The Cardinals gained an incredible 241.35 net yards over average with Williams on the field and had nearly a yard more per rushing attempt – with the ultra-talented Kenyan Drake as Arizona’s number-one running back, their run game becomes that much better and should give Seattle’s linebacker unit a serious challenge.
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