Prior to the Detroit Lions taking on the Seattle Seahawks this weekend, SideLion Report went behind enemy lines to gather some insider information.
Coming off a big victory on the road against the Miami Dolphins, the Detroit Lions will now get to sleep in their beds before taking on the Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field this Sunday.
Prior to the big game, SideLion Report snuck across enemy lines to get some insider information on this Seattle team from our good friends over at 12th Man Rising, FanSided’s site devoted to the Seahawks. Here’s our five questions with site expert Lee Vowell.
1. Why has Seattle’s passing offense struggled so much this season?
LV: I don’t think the passing game has been too bad. Russell Wilson may not have the number of touchdown passes he had in 2017 but a lot of that is he simply doesn’t have the volume of throws. Seattle’s running game is vastly improved over last season so Wilson doesn’t have to do as much. Thankfully.
Wilson’s quarterback rating is higher this season, even though he led the NFL in touchdown passes last year. The last two week’s his QBR has been over 125 in each of the games. And his numbers are even less this year compared to 2017 because the first two games he had no run support and was sacked 12 times. The last four games Seattle is second in the league in rushing and Wilson has been sacked just 7 times.
2. What has been the team’s biggest surprise so far this season for you?
LV: Right guard D.J. Fluker. Fluker is on his third team in his short career but has made a huge difference in Seattle’s run game. He missed the first two games of the year.
Since his return, and since the Seahawks’ newfound commitment to the rushing attack, Seattle’s offense has been immensely improved. And in week five against the Rams, Fluker dominated Ndamukong Suh for nearly the entire game. Seattle would not be 3-3 without Fluker.
3. What would you consider to be the Seahawks’ biggest strength? Biggest weakness?
LV: This has been a weird year for Seattle. The strengths of the team are a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a mystery. For instance, Frank Clark has been a huge strength as far as the pass rush goes, but Seattle overall has been poor in that area.
This could really hurt them on Sunday against Matthew Stafford. Basically, the biggest strength of the team has been the safety play, especially Bradley McDougald. He has been fantastic.
The biggest weakness for the team, especially against Detroit, could be the inexperience of the secondary. Overall, the revamped Legion of Boom has been good, even without Earl Thomas. But Seattle starts a second-year cornerback, a rookie corner and a second-year safety. Couple that with an extremely inconsistent pass rush and against Stafford, that could be bad.
4. Who is one relatively unknown player that will surprise Detroit fans on Sunday?
LV: Defensive tackle Jarran Reed. Reed has supplied the Seahawks with an interior pass rush that it hasn’t had in years. And Reed is excellent against the run and always has been. But in his third season, Reed has blossomed into the player Seattle hoped he would be.
Reed is having by far his best year in Seattle. He has four sacks (pretty great for a defensive tackle through six games) and five tackles for loss. He and Clark form a great inside-outside duo. Now they only need help from other players.
5. What’s your prediction for the upcoming game and score?
LV: It is tough to win on the road in the NFL. But Seattle is not the same team it was in the first two games of 2018. Seattle is 3-1 in its last four with a close loss to the Rams and that was a game they led most of the way. If running back Chris Carson and company can get the running game going, Seattle wins this. I think Seattle wins 24-21.