Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks.
So, far Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has not delivered very good results. All the blame can’t be put on him. Shane Waldron calling run plays repeatedly that yield little to no results, then putting Smith in third down and long situations is just not smart.
However, Smith’s decision-making, both pre and post-snap, further complicates matters for the offense. This week’s matchup should hopefully provide some better results for both Smith and the Seattle Seahawks offense. Subsequently, they find themselves in the NFC West basement.
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner is second in the NFL with 79 tackles. He’ll look to add to that total against a team that struggles to move the ball downfield.
2021 number one overall pick Trevor Lawrence leads the Jags offense. He’s had an alright rookie year while learning on the fly. Consequently, the Jaguars’ offense ranks 25th in total yards.
Jacksonville does have some weapons that Lawrence can use to win a game. His top two receivers, Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault, can break big plays. Jags starting running back James Robinson gained 1,000 yards in his rookie season of 2020. This year, he’s on pace to do it again. Not bad for an undrafted free agent.
While nobody should expect this Seattle Seahawks defense to morph into the Legion of Boom, they should be good enough to limit Jacksonville to around 13 points. Maybe.
The Seattle Seahawks rush defense ranks 30th in the league, allowing an average of 134.1-yards on the ground. If Jacksonville is smart, they will utilize a rush-heavy attack while sprinkling in some rollouts and bootlegs. It will force Seattle’s defense into choosing whether to stop Lawrence’s running or his passing.
A dilemma that could put a kink in the Seahawks’ chances to win. This analysis may be obvious and simplistic. But there are legitimate concerns that defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr won’t have a game plan to stop this kind of offensive attack.
As previously mentioned, Smith’s time as the starting Seattle Seahawks quarterback has been poor. The team is 0-2 in his starts, and Smith was sacked 10 times for a total of 82-yards. Seattle is also 0-3 in comeback attempts with some costly turnovers with him at the helm. However, this is not entirely his fault.
Luckily for the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville’s defense is worse than its offense, allowing a total of 412.2-yards a game (30th in the NFL). This same defense gives up an average of 297.8-yards via the pass (31st) and 114.3 via the rush (17th). Also, they allow an average of 28.7-points a game (26th). For comparison, the Seattle Seahawks yield 23.1-points per game, ranking 15th.
Jacksonville’s defense offers up very little resistance and sets up Smith for a prime offensive breakout!. Hopefully, OC Shane Waldron can come up with a game plan that minimizes Smith’s decision-making. A passing attack that utilizes shorter throws like slants and crossing routes can work.
It’s shocking to see that these two defenses are separated by less than one touchdown a game, especially looking at the construction of the respective rosters. Can you name two members of the Jacksonville defense? If one of your answers is former Seattle Seahawk Shaquill Griffin, good job.
Jacksonville’s defense is one of the worst at getting pressure on the quarterback. Believe it or not, Smith is vastly better operating in the pocket than outside of it. This may be a bit surprising since he does have some athletic ability to run. The Seattle Seahawks offensive line should provide Smith enough time to distribute the ball to Metcalf, Lockett, and maybe Gerald Everett or Freddie Swain.
This week won’t have any predictions. Mainly because Seattle is bad, and predicting a win is about all that needs to be done. Jacksonville is coming off their bye week, which came after their only win on the season.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks are on a three-game losing streak. The best thing Seattle can do is get out to a big lead early on this young Jacksonville team. Conversely, this game should boost the confidence of a struggling (putting it nicely) Seattle offense.
Since last week’s reverse jinx attempt failed (maybe even impacted the Seattle offense?), I’m going back to making a normal call. Seattle 28 Jacksonville 20. Check back at PNWS for the takeaways from this game.
Check back with us after the game for our takeaways.