Seattle Seahawks Dynasty (FOF9)

[canuxrok]

Seahawks flying high through three weeks




September 26th, 2023 -

There are five teams in NFL who are yet to lose after three weeks. If you told me in the pre-season that "and Seattle is one of them" would be the next sentence I would have scoffed. There is still room for healthy skepticism with this team. They beat up on a Panthers squad decimated by injuries but Geno showed the first chinks in his armour, throwing two pick sixes. The three teams they have defeated all sit at 1-2 records right now and only Detroit looks like possibly a playoff quality team out of them. The D-Line which was already criticized in pre-season will be extra thin without Mario Edwards and their pass rush is among the worst in the league.

With all that said, let's give these Hawks their due. They are 1st in yards allowed and 3rd in yards. Second in points scored and 5th in points allowed. Geno Smith leads the league in QB Rating (137.8), and Passing TDs (11) and D.K. Metcalf leads all receivers with 6 TDs and 366 yards. Devon Witherspoon and Boye Mafe are improving as the season goes along and although it remains to be seen how they weather the loss of Mario Edwards this defensive line hasn't been costing Seattle any games yet. They will be tested against Saquon Barkley and the Giants and they have absolutely benefitted from playing with the lead all season but so far the only real knock on them has been a lack of pressure on the QB and that has been covered for by the Seahawks quality defensive backs.

They should be looking forward to this matchup with the Giants, the first winning team they will face this year. Not many analysts gave the Giants much credit this year after an impressive season in 2022 but they have carried that success forward and are playing themselves into the playoff conversation (yes, it's still very early for that). The Giants are strong in the trenches, allowing the third fewest sacks in the league while generating the third most sacks in the NFL on the other side of the ball. Saquon Barkley will be a real challenge for a run defense that hasn't been especially tested yet. Geno Smith is still looking to prove his doubters wrong and he's off to a great start despite his turnovers against Carolina. The NFL season is a long grind though and fair or not he will be scrutinized all season as the skeptics wait for him to slip up and fall off. Kenneth Walker had his first hundred yard game of the season and he will be looking to build off that. If he doesn't produce life will become difficult for Geno as a one dimensional offence against a strong defensive front like the Giants have had so far makes for a miserable day for the QB. Can Seattle stay undefeated in their toughest test of the season so far? If they do will the talking heads start giving them the respect they've earned and take them seriously? Some questions can only be answered on Sunday.

[canuxrok]

John's Journal

Sept 28th, 2023 -

This has been an impressive start but privately I feel a lot of reservations still. Mario is a big loss and our run defense isn't as good as the numbers say it is. Geno is playing as good as he ever has but two pick sixes against the Panthers is scary. Still, I like his leadership and with these receivers he should keep on putting up numbers. Hopefully we can find him an heir apparent this year or next so he has time to mentor them before his contract is up.

Speaking of contracts I still don't know what to do about most of these guys. I was hoping to move Quandre at least to create some cap space but I can't bring myself to be calling other teams up about him when we're on this winning streak. I can't consider doing anything to upset the apple cart right now. But I'm very aware that changes are going to have to happen this offseason if not sooner and I'm the one responsible to make those changes.

One big thing to think about is the defensive front and coordinator. We've been having a lot of success and most of our defensive players are best suited to the 34 we're currently running. Much as I'd like to switch the coordinator to somebody who will run a 43 that would also require a lot of roster turnover. Here's the list of guys that I think would fit best in a 43 scheme: Devin Bush (43 Will), Jon Rhattigan (43 Will), Uchenna Nwosu (43 Sam), Cameron Young (1-tech DT), Dre'Mont Jones (43 DE). That's it. All the rest of them are suited to running a 34. Mafe, Wagner, Brook, Reed, etc, most of my best defensive players thrive in 34. I'm just going to have to keep an eye on this through the season and stay flexible about this decision.

Some of the young guys are really stepping up. Tyreke Smith has been giving us good snaps coming off the edge and Cameron Young has been solid at NT whenever we've asked him to be. Spoon is going to breakout eventually, his play and his instincts have been phenomenal. Cross and Lucas have been reliable at tackle and they're improving every week. I'm looking forward to seeing how we can use Smith-Njigba now that he's 100% healthy.

I hadn't expected all this success but we have started against an easy schedule. Hopefully we can take down the Giants on Sunday and take it from there.

[canuxrok]

Week 4, Seattle Seahawks @ New York Giants

Weather: Sunny, 69 degrees, 14mph wind

Injury Report:

SEATTLE
DE Mario Edwards (Out) *IR
OLB Uchenna Nwose (Probable

NY GIANTS
OLB Carlos Basham (Doubtful) *Inactive
RB Matt Breida (Doubtful) *Inactive
OG Mark Glowinski (Questionable)
TE Tommy Sweeney (Questionable)
TE Daniel Bellinger (Probable)
DE Leonard Williams (Probable)

Recap:

1st Quarter
Seattle strikes first, taking the first possession of the game and driving downfield quickly. Smith and Dissly connected for 41 yards on the first play from scrimmage, most of those were after the catch as Dissly caught the pass seven yards downfield and then rumbled with it all the way to the Giants 34. Seattle moved it to the one yard line for first and goal and then Geno scrambled for the touchdown. Seattle 7, New York 0. The Giants countered with a drive of their own, with a key 20 yard run from Barkley and a 19 yard pass to Parris Campbell moving them into Seattle territory. On first down from the Seattle 13 Daniel Jones was sacked by Witherspoon and Mafe and fumbled the ball. It was recovered by Seattle's Cameron Young and the Seahawks took over from their 20. They managed one first down on an 18 yard completion to Cody Thompson but were forced to punt it away. The Giants had a couple first downs and were driving to the Seahawks 35 where they faced a 3rd and 10. Jones ran a playaction pass and threw towards TE Darren Waller but nickel back Coby Bryant picked it off for the Seahawks. Kenneth Walker ran for a couple of first downs, including a 17 yard run up the middle. Geno Smith threw for a couple first downs, a 17 yard pass to Lockett (thrown into double coverage but Lockett came up with the catch still) and a 13 yard pass over the middle to TE Colby Parkinson.

2nd Quarter
With a 1st down from the Giants 23 Geno threw two straight incompletions and his third down pass to Thompson only went six yards. Jason Myers nailed the 34 yard field and Seattle went up 10-0. The Giants offense went to work moving the ball down the field. They marched it into Seattle territory, six first downs, down to the 3 yard line where the Seahawks defense put up a stand until third down when Jones hooked up with Darren Waller for the touchdown. Seattle 10, New York 7. The Seahawks would go three and out on their next possession and the Giants would do likewise, with Coby Bryant making the key tackle on third down to stop Barkley four yards shy of the marker. The Seahawks would get the ball with 3:42 to play in the half. On third and five Geno threw to Will Dissly for 13 yards to keep the drive going. On the next set of downs on 3rd and 9 he threw to DeeJay Dallas in the flats and Dallas gained 10 yards for the first down. An eleven yard scramble by Geno for another first down brings us to the two minute warning. With the ball on the New York 28 Geno Smith passed to Dissly for 8 yards, scrambled for 6 and a first down on the next play then threw to D.K. Metcalf for a 14 yard touchdown with the Giants double covering Tyler Lockett. Seattle 17, New York 7.

3rd Quarter
The Giants moved the chains a couple times but were ultimately unsuccessful in the first drive of the second half and they punted to Seattle. On 3rd and 5 of their first set of downs Geno Smith threw a playaction pass to Will Dissly over the middle. Dissly added fifteen yards after the catch for a 19 yard gain and a first down. A couple runs by Kenneth Walker earned another first down as they moved into Giants territory but the drive stalled out and Geno was sacked on third and long when Charles Cross missed his block. Dickson punted it 49 yards out of bounds at the five. After a 3 and out the Giants punted it but DeeJay Dallas fumbled on the return and the Giants recovered and returned it to the Seattle 33. On first down Saquon Barkley ran up the middle for 21 yards. Daniel Jones completed an 11 yard pass to Waller to set the Giants up with first and goal from the one. They wasted no time punching it in with Barkley for the score. Graham Gano missed the extra point wide left. Seattle 17, New York 13. The Seahawks would go three and out but Dickson's punt bounced to the New York 6 where it was downed by Bellore, a 70 yard punt. The Giants would earn a couple of first downs before being stopped at their 41 and forced to punt.

4th Quarter
Seattle only moved the chains once before Michael Dickson came out to punt once again and pinned New York deep in the territory, kicking it out at the 6 yard line. The Giants took a free first down to start their drive when Riq Woolen took a defensive holding penalty on the first play. They would earn two more first downs running the ball but were stopped at their own 45 and Gillan punted it 40 yards to the Seattle fifteen where Dallas fair caught it. Seattle went three and out and the Giants would take over from their own 39 yard line. Saquon Barkley rushed for one first down but the Giants were again stopped and with a fourth and seven on the Seattle 45 Brian Daboll elected to punt and trust his defense to get the ball back. His faith in his defense was vindicated when Seattle again went three and out. Michael Dickson sent a booming 63 yard punt that Gary Brightwell returned 6 yards to the New York 16 before being tackled by Devon Witherspoon. With 3:04 remaining in the game this was a critical drive. Daniel Jones had his first down pass batted down at the line by Dre'Mont Jones. On second down he completed a screen pass to Sterling Shepard but Jamal Adams sniffed it out and stopped him one yard in the backfield. After a false start set them back five more yards Daniel Jones dropped back to pass on 3rd and 16 only to have his pass blocked at the line by Boye Mafe. On 4th and 16 with 2:35 to play and the ball on their own 10 yard line the Giants went for it but Julian Love defended the pass to TE Darren Waller and the ball went over on downs. Walker ran twice for seven yards as New York spent two of their timeouts. On 3rd and goal from the three DeeJay Dallas punched it in to put Seattle ahead 24-13. The Giants weren't going down without a fight and when they got the ball back they executed a smooth two minute offense, moving the ball 75 yards in nine plays to score a touchdown on a 16 yard completion to Darren Waller. They went for the two point conversion and got it with a pass to TE Tommy Sweeney. Seattle 24, New York 21. With 22 seconds to play the Giants attempted the onside kick but Seattle recovered it and ran out the rest of the clock to seal the win.

Final Score: Seattle 24, New York 21

Will Dissly played a good game for the Seahawks, catching four passes for 81 yardds. Geno Smith was 20-29 for 201 yards and a touchdown. He also ran six times for 22 yards and a touchdown. Barkley ran for 66 yards and a touchdown but was limited to 14 carries as the Giants played from behind a fair bit. Daniel Jones was 28-47 for 277 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Tight End Darren Waller caught 7 passes for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns. On defense Bobby Wagner made 9 tackles and had two assists, a tackle for a loss and a pass defended. Coby Bryant made six tackles, had two passes defended and an interception. Witherspoon had half a sack, a forced fumble, a pass defended, three tackles and three assists. Giants cornerback Bobby McCain had a sack and a pass defended as well as two tackles and safety Xavier McKinney had seven tackles, three assists and two tackles for a loss. OLB Isaiah Simmons had 9 tackles, 2 assists, a tackle for a loss and a pass defended. Seahawks C Evan Brown made 4 key run blocks out of five opportunities.

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Week 4 NFL News

NOTABLE GAMES:
BAL (2-2) 30 @ CLE (4-0) 37 (CLE QB P.J. Walker 27-38, 310 Yds, 2 TD, 7 Car, 22 Yds, TD; BAL QB Lamar Jackson 24-38, 300 Yds, 2 TD, INT, 9 Car, 50 Yds, TD; BAL WR Nelson Agholor 5 Rec, 75 Yds, TD; CLE S Grant Delpit 6 Tckl, 3 Ast, INT; CLE DT Trysten Hill 2 Tckl, TFL, Sack, FF; BAL DE Justin Madubuike Sack)
DET (2-2) 26 @ GB (2-2) 21 (DET QB Jared Goff 21-31, 219 Yds, 2 TD; DET RB David Montgomery 16 Car, 152 Yds; GB QB Jordan Love 20-46, 237 Yds, TD, INT; GB RB Aaron Jones 9 Car, 94 Yds; GB WR Christian Watson 7 Rec, 127 Yds, TD; DET OLB Malcolm Rodriguez 2 Sacks; DET LB Derrick Barnes INT; GB DE Devonte Wyatt Sack, FF)
DEN (2-2) 34 @ CHI (2-2) 32 (DEN QB Jarrett Stidham 19-27, 193 Yds, 2 TD, INT, 2 Car, 79 Yds, TD; DEN WR Jerry Jeudy 9 Rec, 118 Yds, TD; CHI QB Tyson Bagent 32-49, 335 Yds, 3 TD; CHI WR D.J. Moore 10 Rec, 131 Yds; CHI WR Chase Claypool 11 Rec, 94 Yds, 3 TD; CHI LB Tremaine Edmunds 12 Tckl, 4 Ast, INT; CHI DE DeMarcus Walker 1.5 Sacks, FF)
MIA (2-2) 19 @ BUF (4-0) 24(BUF QB Josh Allen 8-8, 91 Yds, TD *injured on second possession of game*; BUF QB Kyle Allen 23-29, 203 Yds, TD; MIA QB Tua Tagovailoa 21-31, 242 Yds, 2 TD; MIA WR Tyreek Hill 6 Rec, 87 Yds, TD; BUF DT Leonard Floyd Sack, FF; BUF OLB Matt Milano 7 Tckl, 1.5 Sacks, PD)
KC (0-4) 12 @ NYJ (2-2) 20 (NYJ QB Aaron Rodgers 26-33, 297 Yds, 2 TD; KC QB Patrick Mahomes 22-36, 236 Yds, TD; NYJ RB Dalvin Cook 21 Car, 122 Yds; NYJ WR Allen Lazard 8 Rec, 110 Yds, TD; NYJ DT Quinnen Williams 2 Sacks; KC DE Charles Omenihu 1.5 Sacks; NYJ LB C.J. Mosley 9 Tckl; KC LB Willie Gay 11 Tckl)
MIN (2-2) 28 @ CAR (1-3) 27 (MIN QB Kirk Cousins 19-31, 245 Yds, TD, INT; MIN RB Myles Gaskin 15 Car, 11 Yds, TD; MIN WR Justin Jefferson 10 Rec, 163 Yds, TD; CAR QB Andy Dalton 22-44, 384 Yds, 3 TD, 2 INT; CAR WR Laviska Shenault 5 Rec, 138 Yds; MIN OLB Danielle Hunter 2 Sacks; CAR DT Maliek Collins 1.5 Sacks; MIN CB Byron Murphy 2 PD, INT; MIN CB Akayleb Evans 2 PD, INT; CAR CB Jaycee Horn PD, INT)

NOTABLE INJURIES:

• JAX OLB K'Lavon Chaisson suffered a major thumb ligament tear and is being evaluated.
• JAX WR Zay Jones tore a ligament in his lower leg, he will likely miss around 3 months.
• BUF TE Dawson Knox is done for the season after suffering a major ACL tear.
• MIN WR Jalen Nailor is out with a torn MCL.
• DEN DE Jonathan Harris sprained his MCL and team doctors are evaluating him.
• DEN QB Jarrett Stidham suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the year.
• CLE CB Martin Emerson should be gone for the rest of the season with a major LCL tear in his knee.
• BAL LB Patrick Queen tore his achilles tendon and is out for the year.
• CLE CB Mike Ford suffered a partial achilles tear and will be out for at least 14 weeks.
• PIT DE Larry Ogunjobi sprained his MCL and is being evaluated.
• PIT DT Montravius Adams will be out for some time with a partial achilles tendon tear.
• LAR CB Troy Pride partially tore his achilles tendon.
• IND S Nick Cross will be out with a torn ankle ligament.
• WSH DE Montez Sweat suffered a torn ACL and is being evaluated by team doctors.
• NO WR Lynn Bowden tore a ligament in his leg and will miss at least 10 weeks.
• DAL CB Trevon Diggs suffered a partial achilles tendon tear.
• DAL RB Deuce Vaughn injured a ligament in his thumb.
• NE WR DeVante Parker is out with a torn elbow ligament.
• ARI WR Michael Wilson suffered a major ligament tear in his hand and will likely miss the remainder of the season.
• SF DT Marlon Davidson sprained his LCL and will be out for approximately ten weeks.

[canuxrok]

Week 5 NFL News

NOTABLE GAMES:
TEN (3-2) 23 @ IND (4-1) 30 (IND QB Gardner Minshew 11-20, 119 Yds, 2 INT *pulled midway through the second quarter after throwing his second interception*; IND QB Anthony Richardson 10-18, 188 Yds, TD, INT, 8 Car, 41 Yds, TD; IND RB Jonathan Taylor 18 Car, 119 Yds; TEN QB Malik Willis 14-27, 162 Yds, TD, INT, 10 Car, 65 Yds; TEN RB Derrick Henry 16 Car, 71 Yds; IND DE Kwity Paye 2 Sacks; TEN DE Michael Dwumfour 2 Sacks; TEN S Amani Hooker 2 INT; IND LB Zaire Franklin 8 Tckl)
DAL (4-1) 16 @ SF (3-2) 27 (SF QB Brandon Allen 20-37, 207 Yds, 2 TD, INT; SF RB Christian McCaffrey 20 Car, 130 Yds, 3 Rec, 19 Yds; DAL QB Dak Prescott 20-35, 216 Yds, TD; DAL RB Tony Pollard 10 Car, 80 Yds; SF DE Nick Bosa 6 Tckl, 3.5 Sacks, 7 Hurries, 12 Pressures; DAL S Donovan Wilson PD, INT, TD; DAL DE Demarcus Lawrence 1.5 Sacks, FF)
JAX (4-1) 26 @ BUF (4-1) 7 *game played in London, England* (JAX QB Trevor Lawrence 22-29, 204 Yds, 2 TD; JAX WR Christian Kirk 10 Rec, 95 Yds, TD; BUF QB Kyle Allen 25-34, 266 Yds, 2 INT; BUF WR Stefon Diggs 7 Rec, 117 Yds; JAX DT Folorunso Fatukasi 2 Sacks; JAX OLB Josh Allen 2 Sacks; JAX CB Darious Williams PD, INT; BUF CB Tre'Davious White 3 PD)
BAL (2-3) 7 @ PIT (2-3) 13 (PIT QB Mason Rudolph 21-34, 198 Yds, INT; PIT RB Najee Harris 14 Car, 35 Yds, TD; BAL QB Lamar Jackson 17-30, 158 Yds, TD, INT, 9 Car, 64 Yds; PIT S Minkah Fitzpatrick 11 Tckl, TFL, Sack, 2 PD, FF; PIT OLB Alex Highsmith 1.5 Sacks, FF; BAL CB Marlon Humphrey 3 PD, INT)
KC (0-5) 3 @ MIN (3-2) 27 (MIN QB Kirk Cousins 22-29, 221 Yds, TD; MIN RB Myles Gaskin 6 Car, 36 Yds, 2 TD; KC QB Patrick Mahomes 16-28, 141 Yds; MIN OLB Marcus Davenport Sack, FF; MIN OLB Danielle Hunter 2 Tckl, TFL, FF; KC DT Chris Jones Sack, FF)

KEY INJURIES LIST:

• ARI C Pat Elflein (Out - Season) Achilles
• ARI LB Zaven Collins (Out - 10 Weeks) Hamstring
• ATL DE Grady Jarrett (Out - 5 Weeks) Foot
• ATL LB Kaden Elliss (Out - Season) ACL
• BAL LT Ronnie Stanley (Out - Season) Ankle
• BAL WR Nelson Agholor (Out - 5 Weeks) Wrist
• BAL NT Michael Pierce (Out - Season) Hernia
• BAL LB Patrick Queen (Out - Season) Achilles
• BUF TE Dawson Knox (Out - Season) ACL
• BUF S Tayler Rapp (Out - 8 Weeks) Concussion
• BUF QB Josh Allen (Probable) Hamstring
• CAR RB Miles Sanders (Out - 10 Weeks) Knee
• CAR QB Colt McCoy (Out - 11 Weeks) Achilles
• CAR OG Austin Corbett (Out - 13 Weeks) Leg
• CAR OG Brady Christensen (Out - 8 Weeks) Calf
• CAR S Xavier Woods (Out - 10 Weeks) Foot
• CAR QB Andy Dalton (Doubtful) Elbow
• CHI DT Justin Jones (Out - 3 Weeks) Shoulder
• CIN QB Joe Burrow (Out - Season) Achilles
• CIN LB Ike Resnick (Questionable) Elbow
• CIN S Daxton Hill (Out - 9 Weeks) Foot
• CLE CB Mike Ford (Out - 13 Weeks) Achilles
• CLE CB Martin Emerson (Out - Season) LCL
• CLE DE Myles Garrett (Questionable) Wrist
• CLE QB Deshaun Watson (Questionable) Thumb
• DAL CB Trevon Diggs (Out - 7 Weeks) Achilles
• DAL LB DeMarvion Overshown (Questionable) Patellar Tendon
• DEN QB Jarrett Stidham (Out - Season) ACL
• DEN OLB Frank Clark (Out - 6 Weeks) Abdominal Muscle
• DEN C Lloyd Cushenberry (Out - 2 Weeks) Foot
• DEN WR Marvin Mims (Doubtful) Patellar Tendon
• DEN QB Russell Wilson (Questionable) Wrist
• DET CB Cameron Sutton (Out - 4 Weeks) Adductor Muscle
• DET OLB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (Out - Season) Rotator Cuff
• DET C Frank Ragnow (Out - 4 Weeks) Wrist
• DET RB David Montgomery (Questionable) MCL
• HOU CB Steven Nelson (Out - 4 Weeks) Calf
• HOU TE Dalton Schultz (Out - 10 Weeks) Hamstring
• HOU LB Blake Cashman (Doubtful) Elbow
• IND QB Gardner Minshew (Out - 5 Weeks) Knee
• IND OG Quenton Nelson (Out - 3 Weeks) Achilles
• IND CB Kenny Moore (Out- 5 Weeks) Elbow
• IND WR Michael Pittman (Doubtful) Calf
• JAX WR Zay Jones (Out - 11 Weeks) Leg
• JAX NT DaVon Hamilton (Out - 3 Weeks) Knee
• JAX DT Reggie Hertzler (Out - Season) Thigh Fracture
• KC LB Drue Tranquill (Out - 6 Weeks) Hip
• KC TE Travis Kelce (Out - 4 Weeks) Biceps
• LV LB Dorian Switzer (Out - 4 Weeks) Triceps
• LV TE Austin Hooper (Doubtful) Abdominal Muscle
• LAC OT Rashawn Slater (Out - Season) ACL
• LAC OLB Joey Bosa (Out - 9 Weeks) Ankle
• LAC RB Austin Ekeler (Questionable) MCL
• LAR OLB Troy Reeder (Out - 3 Weeks) Calf
• LAR QB Matthew Stafford (Out - Season) ACL
• LAR DE Michael Hoecht (Out - 15 Weeks) MCL
• LAR WR Cooper Kupp (Doubtful) Abdominal Muscle
• MIA NT Eddie Goldman (Out - Season) LCL
• MIA CB Joshua Kalu (Out - 8 Weeks) Hamstring
• MIA LB David Long (Questionable) LCL
• MIN OLB Danielle Hunter (Doubtful) MCL
• NE LT Trent Brown (Out - Season) ACL
• NE OG Cole Strange (Out - Season) Compound Thigh Fracture
• NE CB Jonathan Jones (Out - Season) PCL
• NE WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (Out - 14 Weeks) Leg
• NE WR DeVante Parker (Out - 8 Weeks) Elbow
• NO DE Cameron Jordan (Out - 9 Weeks) MCL
• NO LB DeMario Davis (Doubtful) Turf Toe
• NYG NT Dexter Lawrence (Out - 3 Weeks) Elbow
• NYJ DE Jermaine Johnson (Out - Season) ACL
• NYJ WR Garrett Wilson (Doubtful) Knee
• PHI OG Landon Dickerson (Out - Season) Achilles
• PHI WR A.J. Brown (Questionable) Elbow
• PHI DE Brandon Graham (Questionable) MCL
• PIT NT Montravius Adams (Out - 9 Weeks) Achilles
• PIT DE Larry Ogunjobi (Doubtful) MCL
• PIT QB Kenny Pickett (Questionable) Viral Infection
• SF TE George Kittle (Out - 5 Weeks) Hip
• SF LB Fred Warner (Out - 6 Weeks) Shoulder
• SF QB Brock Purdy (Questionable) Adductor Muscle
• SF DT Marlon Davidson (Questionable) LCL
• SEA OG Damien Lewis (Out - 3 Weeks) Elbow
• SEA DE Mario Edwards (Out - Season) ACL
• TB CB Carlton Davis (Questionable) Shoulder
• TEN CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (Out - Season) ACL
• TEN QB Ryan Tannehill (Questionable) MCL
• TEN RB Tyjae Spears (Questionable) Calf
• WSH DE Montez Sweat (Out - Season) ACL
• WSH DE Chase Young (Out - 12 Weeks) Achilles
• WSH WR Curtis Samuel (Out - 7 Weeks) Achilles

[canuxrok]

NFL Storylines Week 5

Undefeated Teams
Through 5 weeks of competition there are only two teams who have yet to lose and they are the Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks (both teams have already had a bye and so have only played four games). The Browns look like the real deal, having won their first four games despite missing Deshaun Watson for a game and a half and having to roll with backup P.J. Walker. They've already beaten each team in their division once as well. Meanwhile Seattle looks legit because of their QB rather than in spite of/without him. Geno Smith is writing back in style this year as he has dominated through four starts. D.K. Metcalf has been his favourite target and is establishing himself as one of the best WRs in the league.

Dallas with their first loss
After a rough start the 49ers are bouncing right back into contention and they defeated the 4-0 Cowboys, led by, checks notes, Brandon Allen? Yes, the Brock Purdy-less 9ers chopped down the mighty Cowboys in large part due to an historic performance from Nick Bosa, who had 3.5 sacks and TWELVE total pressures.

Is Jacksonville for real?
After knocking the undefeated Bills down a peg in London it may be time to start taking the 4-1 Jaguars seriously. The previous week they put a good beat down on a Falcons team that hadn't lost to that point. Two weeks before that was a 37-3 drubbing of the Chiefs that they still haven't recovered from. Their only loss was in Week 1 to the Colts and since then they haven't allowed 10 or more points in a game. Trevor Lawrence is second in the NFL in passing yards with 1369 and he's thrown only one interception through five games. Let's see if he can keep it up without one of his favourite targets as Zay Jones could miss a big chunk of the rest of the season with a ligament injury in his leg.

What happened to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs?
Mahomes is mired in the worst season of his career and five games in the Chiefs have yet to win a game. Nobody predicted this even though they weren't a popular Super Bowl pick after losing some key pieces. With Kelce injured and a sub-par group of receivers Mahomes has looked all sorts of out-of-sorts. He's completing only 60% of his passes right now, has 788 yards and 2 touchdowns through five games and has been pulled midway through a game already. His 130 pass attempts are 21st in the league and maybe it's time Andy Reid just cuts him loose to see what happens because the conservative gameplans they've been running sure aren't winning any games. Maybe they'll be able to turn things around in Week 6 against the Broncos with Russell Wilson questionable and third stringer Holton Ahlers the prospective starter as backup signal caller Jarrett Stidham will be out for the rest of the year with a serious ACL injury.

Taylor Heinicke looking like the answer in Atlanta
The Falcons are up to 4-1 now, led by Taylor Heinicke who beat out the younger Desmond Ridder in camp and pre-season to earn the starter's mantle. Heinicke is 6th in the NFL in passing yards with 1268 and has thrown 7 touchdowns to only one interception. Can he keep this play up?

MVP Watch: Tua Tagovailoa
Tua leads the NFL in passing yards with 1503 and has also thrown for 9 touchdowns. If Miami can keep winning games and he stays hot he will be one of the frontrunners for MVP, alongside Dak Prescott (11 Tds, 2 Ints) and Trevor Lawrence.

Atlanta's Pass Rush a big part of their winning ways
DT David Onyemata leads the NFL with 9 sacks. Tied for second in the league is OLB Bud Dupree. Atlanta's other edge rusher, Lorenzo Carter, is tied for 9th in the NFL with 4.5 sacks. If they keep getting after the QB like this it will be hard to beat them.

DaRon Bland has great hands
The second year corner is tied for the league lead with three interceptions, making the Cowboys look brilliant for selecting him in the 5th round a year and a half ago. Will he keep up this pace as quarterbacks start to avoid his side more?

AFC South clash for supremacy
The Colts and Jaguars meet for the second time this season in Week 6. The two clubs are tied for tops in the AFC South with identical 4-1 records. In their Week 1 matchup the Colts bested Jacksonville, will the Jags get their revenge or does Indy have their number? Gardner Minshew is injured and Anthony Richardson will likely get the start for Indianapolis, can the rookie signal caller find success against possibly the best defense in the league? Talk about being thrown into the fire. Trevor Lawrence protects the ball well, throwing only one interception so far, but he's no mere game manager, throwing his way into MVP conversations early as he runs this offense with confidence.

[canuxrok]

Seattle Week 6 Preview

Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)

Injury Report:

SEATTLE
OG Damien Lewis OUT
DE Mario Williams OUT

CINCINNATI
QB Joe Burrow OUT
S Daxton Hill OUT
LB Ike Resnick QUESTIONABLE
WR Ja'Marr Chase PROBABLE
QB Graham Meng PROBABLE
TE Irv Smith PROBABLE
OG Max Scharping PROBABLE
DE Sam Hubbard PROBABLE

Point Spread: Seattle by 4

Preview:

A rested Seahawks squad or a rusty one? Which will we see on Sunday? One thing we won't see is Joe Burrow throwing the football for the Bengals. With Burrow out for the year the Bengals playoff aspirations are fading fast. Backup Will Grier has struggled mightily, with one touchdown to four interceptions. Will he be able to get the ball out to his playmakers or will their offense sputter and fail? Their past two games with Grier at the helm they haven't cracked double digits on the scoreboard. If they can establish the run with Chase Brown and Joe Mixon and get ahead maybe they'll have a chance.

Will Geno Smith pick up where he left off before the bye week? He'll have to deal with missing starting guard Damien Lewis. Rookie guard Anthony Bradford will be lining up across from experienced and accomplished DT D.J. Reader. The Bengals have a solid tandem at corner with Mike Hilton and Chidobe Awuzie. Awuzie has two interceptions already this season. They will be tasked with locking down the dynamic duo of D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett but even if they succeed Geno Smith has a plethora of options in his offense, from rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba to tight end Will Dissly to the running back trio of Walker, Charbonnet and Dallas. To be able to dictate the pace of play and keep the Bengals off balance Seattle will need to be able to run the ball against a good linebacking corps led by Logan Wilson and against a defensive line that has proven to be solid so far this season.

The Bengals defense may look good but they will be under a lot of pressure with a Burrow-less offense on the other side of the ball. The Seahawks should win this one handily, Cincinnati is not nearly as formidable without Burrow slinging the ball around to Chase, Higgins and Boyd. Even with the four point spread Seattle should be a safe pick in this one.

[canuxrok]

Week 6,Seattle Seahawks @ Cincinnati Bengals

Weather: Cloudy, 59 degrees

Recap:

1st Quarter
Seattle would start with the ball but go three and out and punt it away. Cincinnati's first possession was also three and out and after the punt Seattle would start their next drive from the seventeen. Tyler Lockett would get Seattle their first first down with a 28 yard reception. He was banged up on the play but stayed in the game. After Smith had three straight pass attempts blocked at the line Seattle would be forced to punt. The Bengals started from their own nine and picked up a couple of first downs with an 11 yard screen pass to Tyler Boyd and a 25 yard run by Joe Mixon on a trap around the left tackle. They would be forced to punt on their next set of downs and DeeJay Dallas fielded the punt at his seven and moved in nine yards before being hit and fumbling it. Cincinnati would recover the ball and take over at the Seattle 16. On 3rd and 1 Grier faked the handoff and then passed to Joe Mixon in the flats and Mixon ran it seven yards for the score. Cincinnati 7, Seattle 0. On the ensuing kickoff Cincinnati's Logan Wilson sustained what looks to be a serious injury and he is not expected to return to play. On 3rd and 7 Anthony Bradford allowed OLB Germaine Pratt through and Smith was sacked to force Seattle to punt it away. Michael Dickson punted it 71 yards and Cincinnati return man Trenton Irwin muffed it but fell on it to retain possession at the Cincinnati 8. On 3rd and 5 Will Grier was hurried by Boye Mafe and rushed his pass for Ja'Marr Chase, missing him with the throw and putting the Bengals into a punting situation. Seattle would take over at their own 45. On 3rd and short they called a reverse to Cody Thompson and he broke away for 15 yards and the first down. The very next play Kenneth Walker ran it 11 yards down to the 20.

2nd Quarter
On 3rd and 8 Geno ran a playaction and dumped it off to DeeJay Dallas at the line of scrimmage. Dallas gained 7 but was stopped by CB Chidobe Awuzie a yard short of the first down so Jason Myers came out to kick the 28 yard chip shot and succeeded. Cincinnati 7, Seattle 3. Cincinnati marched it down the field on their next drive, getting first down plays from TE Mitchell Wilcox, RB Joe Mixon and RB Trayveon Williams. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 14 they called a playaction and were forced to dump it off to runningback Trayveon Williams behind the line of scrimmage but Quandre Diggs was all over it, tackling Williams for a five yard loss with some help from Riq Woolen. Evan McPherson would come out and hit the 36 yard field goal as Cincinnati goes up 10-3. After three plays Seattle was punting again, Mike Hilton had knocked the ball out of the hands of D.K. Metcalf before he came down with it on third down. Bellore tackled returner Trenton Irwin after a 12 yard run back set Cincinnati up at their own 28 to start the drive. Trayveon Williams ran around Orlando Brown's block at left tackle for 16 yards on second down to move the chains and get the ball to midfield. After two plays it was third and 1 and Will Grier completed the pass to Demetric Felton for 12 yards but Coby Bryant punched the ball out and recovered the fumble, running with it 17 yards to the Seattle 46. The Seahawks couldn't do anything with the field position and from the Cincinnati 48 Michael Dickson punted it 47 yards to the one, downed by Nick Bellore and Devon Witherspoon. With a 3rd and 10 from their own 1 yard line the Bengals made the gutsy call to air it out and Grier hit receiver Tyler Boyd for a total of 63 yards, down to the Seattle 36. A 13 yard scramble on 2nd down gave them a first and ten from Seattle's 23 with a minute and forty four seconds to go in the half. Grier passes to Mitchell Wilcox for 12 yards and then to Tee Higgins for nine yards. Higgins went out of bounds at the two to stop the clock with a minute fourteen left. Grier threw a pass to TE Drew Sample in the end zone for the score. Cincinnati 17, Seattle 3. Seattle's first set of downs they faced a 3rd and 13 - Metcalf caught a short pass from Geno and battled for the first down marker but was forced out by Awuzie a yard short and Seattle punted.

3rd Quarter
Up 14 at the half, the Bengals would also start with the ball. Their first play of the half was a 17 yard catch by Tee Higgins on Devon Witherspoon. Their second play of the half Grier went back to Higgins but this time Witherspoon came down with the interception and returned it 22 yards to the 30 yard line. A short catch by Metcalf on second down and a 15 yard first down run by Walker set Seattle up first and goal from the four. After Walker and Charbonnet were both stuffed for no gain Geno went to the air on third down, hitting Metcalf on a quick screen pass and letting D.K. do the rest as he ran it into the endzone for Seattle's first touchdown of the game. The Seahawks chose to go for two and Smith went back to Metcalf for the succesful conversion. Cincinnati 17, Seattle 11. The Bengals moved the ball well on their next drive. Drew Sample caught a 16 yard pass for a first down. Joe Mixon ran for a first down. Will Grier ran for a first down. Tee Higgins caught a 13 yard first down pass. Drew Sample caught an 8 yard pass on second down to set up a 1st and goal from the Seattle 3. Joe Mixon was stuffed for no gain by Nwosu and Brooks. On second down Grier was forced to scramble and he ran it in to put the Bengals up 24-11. Down two scores, the Seahawks began methodically down the field. Third down conversions to Metcalf and Lockett and a second down run by Kenneth Walker for six yards to move the chains got them into striking distance at the Cincinnati 32.

4th Quarter
After two straight incompletions, Anthony Bradford got in a shoving match with D.J. Reader and was flagged for unnecessary roughness, moving Seattle back to 3rd and 25. The Seahawks moved back five more yards after a false start and on 3rd and 30 Geno had no time and nobody open so he dumped it off to Dallas who was tackled for a loss by Awuzie. Dickson punted it 53 yards out of bounds at the five to pin the Bengals deep. Seattle's defense came through to force a three and out. Dallas returned the punt nine yards to Cincinnati's side of midfield. On third down Kenneth Walker ran inside Abe Lucas for four yards to move the chains. He ran it on first down around the left end for nine yards but on second down Chidobe Awuzie knocked the ball away from Metcalf and on third down Geno threw to Metcalf and again it was incomplete. To add insult to injury Metcalf was injured on the play. Jason Myers hit the 44 yard field goal. Cincinnati 24, Seattle 14. Seattle's defense did their part, with Mike Morris coming up with a key sack on third and two to force another three and out. Seattle started their next drive from their own eleven. Metcalf stayed in the game and caught a 14 yard pass on third down to get Seattle's drive going. An 18 yard pass to Tyler Lockett on second down moved the chains again. On 2nd and 8 from Cincy's 43 Geno connected with Cody Thompson for a 25 yard completion. With a 2nd and 6 from the 14 Joseph Ossai rushed Geno Smith into a bad throw and then on third down D.K. dropped the potential touchdown pass so Jason Myers came out and hit the 31 yard field goal. Cincinnati 24, Seattle 17. 4:27 left in the game. With the Seahawks on the ropes for the first time this season would the defense be able to get the ball back with another stop. Will Grier scrambled nine yards for a big first down on 2nd and 8. On 2nd and 10 with 2:45 left Joe Mixon ran between Orlando Brown and Alex Cappa for 11 yards and the first down. Seattle started using their timeouts and after their final timeout was spent Cincinnati had a 3rd and 5 from Seattle's 48 with 2:12 to play. They handed the ball to Trayveon Williams and behind a key block by Max Scharping he pushed forward for five yards and after the chain gang came out it was confirmed a first down. That was the game as Cincinnati ran the clock out and came away with the win, handing Seattle their first loss.

Final Score: Cincinnati 24, Seattle 17.

Bengals backup Will Grier was the player of the game and the story of the game as he outperformed Geno Smith, going 21-25 for 209 yards, 2 TD and an interception, good for a QB Rating of 111.5. He also ran for 35 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries. Joe Mixon had 89 yards on 22 carries and also caught 3 passes for nine yards and a touchdown. Geno struggled, going 19-33 for 166 yards and a touchdown. He protected the ball well but couldn't orchestrate enough offense to make a difference. Kenneth Walker was held to 46 yards on nine carries. Metcalf had 71 yards on 9 catches, none of them longer than 14 yards, and a touchdown but also a key drop that cost them a touchdown. Bobby Wagner had 11 solo tackles and 3 assists and 2 TFL. Quandre Diggs had two tackles for a loss as well. Nick Bellore was busy on special teams, making 3 tackles. Boye Mafe had 3 pressures on 25 pass rush plays, a 12% pressure rate. Cincinnati LB Akeem Davis-Gaither had 8 tackles. LB Germaine Pratt had a sack and a 13.3% pressure rate. CB Mike Hilton allowed only two receptions and had two passes defended. Myers went 3/3 on field goals for Seattle.