Seattle Seahawks opponent preview vs. L.A. Chargers

Chris Phillips   |  

Oct 21, 2022

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The Seattle Seahawks square off against the LA Chargers this week. This game should be a high-scoring affair and provide a good test for the new dynamic Seahawks offense.

The Seattle Seahawks travel south to La La land to face the Chargers. It’s been four years since these two former division rivals faced each other. Mike Davis and Chris Carson were splitting carries. And Keenan Allen was on his way to his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. And Denver’s quarterback was starting for Seattle.

Both teams feature high-powered offenses, as each ranks in the Top 10. Additionally, both teams are tied for first place in their respective divisions.

Also, both teams are coming off wins where their offenses put up 19 points. The similarities between these two teams are kind of crazy, right down to winning last week while scoring 19 points.

One big difference is that the Seattle Seahawks will look to end the Chargers’ three-game win streak.

Seahawks defense facing its toughest test

Los Angeles comes in with the ninth-ranked offense in the NFL, scoring 141 points in 2022. They also have the third-ranked pass offense with 1,680 yards. Sunday will be a good test for Seattle’s young corners.

Rookies Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant will face off against Mike Williams and maybe Keenan Allen. The latter has been dealing with a hamstring injury since he left the game in Week 1.

As of Friday, Allen is listed as questionable to play. It seems like his availability is 50/50 because there are reports that he may wait until after LAC’s Week 8 bye to make his return.

The Seattle Seahawks defense also has to make sure they don’t lose track of Austin Ekeler, either. While he’s not a bruising between-the-tackles style running back, Ekler is a dynamic receiving back who is difficult to bring down in the open field.

Seahawks’ offense will need to keep up

The Seattle Seahawks offense has been on a roll all season long. And it all starts with Geno Smith’s surprise season.

Seattle’s offense has to put up points because their defense hasn’t been good, ranked 31st in the NFL. This doesn’t feel like the week for a return to defensive dominance. Smith and company will have to carry an extra load once again.

While 27th is better than 31st, Los Angeles’ defense isn’t exactly good either. Smith should maintain his completion percentage lead as the Chargers rank 18th in that department, allowing opponents to complete 65.4% of their pass attempts.

Not only should Seattle’s aerial attack have a field day, but so should their run game. The Chargers run defense is 23rd, giving up 125 yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry.

Final Thoughts

All of the important skill players on Seattle’s offense, Kenneth Walker III, Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, and Smith, should have big games this week. It would be smart if the Seattle Seahawks ran the ball a little more this week to help give their defense a little more rest.

Ball control is key. It will be hard for L.A.’s offense to score points when they’re watching the game like fans.

Los Angeles has one more win than the Seahawks this year. That and home field advantage are why they are anywhere between a 5 to 5.5-point favorite.

12s have witnessed some big plays and good offense through six games because of bad defenses. That narrative will continue again this week. Seattle Seahawks fans, make sure you have everything you need to watch the game, as you won’t want to miss a minute of the NFL’s most entertaining game of the week.

Check back with us on Saturday night for the Seattle Seahawks’ updated injury report.