Seattle Seahawks offensive line.
Opening weekend for the NFL is almost here! September 12th, to be exact. The Seattle Seahawks will be taking on the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis. Every 12 around the world will be watching this game. It can be argued that this game is the most interesting of the week. It is one of three matchups between 2020 playoff teams.
When the NFL schedules were first released, this looked like a great game. Now, not so much. Indianapolis has been hit hard with the injury bug. Three Colts starters may not play; QB Carson Wentz, LG Quenton Nelson, and WR T.Y. Hilton. Also, their primary slot receiver Zach Pascal is on the COVID list.
Additionally, free-agent signing LT Eric Fisher, who is working his way back from a torn Achilles, is a question mark. So who Seattle faces in the first week may not be the same Indianapolis team at the end of the year. Not that it matters since the next time Seattle would face Indy is in the Super Bowl.
As previously mentioned, in MVPositions, Carlos Dunlap could have a field day in the opening week. Most likely, Dunlap will be going up against a backup at Indy’s left tackle. I’m sure Dunlap is licking his chops for game one. The Colts will most likely use their tight end and/or running back to help in blocking Dunlap. He’d be smart to avoid getting pushed inside. There he may go against current Hall of Famer Quenton Nelson.
The other MVPosition that will be tested in Week 1 is corner D.J. Reed. Despite any positive results, it may not be a fair reflection of Reed’s abilities. As previously mentioned, Wentz may be out. If he is a former Washington Husky, Jacob Eason will get the start. Reed will most likely go against Michael Pittman. Maybe not the entire game. Pittman will have the size on Reed.
Depending on how well Eason is slinging it and Pittman’s growth from year 1 to year 2, we may not get an accurate read on Reed. Reed can easily bait Eason into awful throws or be the recipient of a scrambling Eason pass. If Wentz is in the game, that should give a better read on Reed. Along with a better idea on the secondary.
The rest of the defense should be fine. Colts head coach Frank Reich is not a Pete Carroll disciple. However, Reich does like to run the ball. Maybe as much as Carroll. With all the injuries the Colts have sustained. They’re likely to run the ball often and a lot. Bobby Wagner and company will be busy tackling Johnathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines.
Carlos Dunlap, Seattle Seahawks.
Consequently, the Seattle Seahawks face a strong test offensively. Former San Francisco DeForest Buckner is the main consistent guy supplying the pressure and stuffing the run. Make no mistake, Buckner is the second-best defensive tackle in the game. If you must ask who’s number one, I counter with, how well do you know football? Russell Wilson will get an early indication on whether the offensive line changes are upgrades or status quo.
Chris Carson won’t have an easy time running on this Indy defense. Besides Buckner, the Colts have two fast, rangy linebackers in Darius Leonard and Bobby Okereke. Moreover, both are very good tacklers too. For fantasy players, take the under on whatever Carson’s projected fantasy points are. Maybe he can get a touchdown to help, but I’m not expecting a big game from him in week one, which is fine.
If Carson can make it easier on Wilson and the passing game, Carson’s big games will come later. Speaking of the passing game. D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett should do alright. Xavier Rhodes is a physical corner; however, I don’t think he can hang with Metcalf’s speed. Then again, not many corners in the league can hang with Metcalf.
On the other hand, Rhodes might match up with Lockett more often. The other corners the Colts have mostly fall into the category of not being good matchups against Metcalf. So you can expect bracket coverage on Metcalf. That will leave Lockett and Gerald Everett to feast on positive matchups. Everett may also get off to a slow start on the year because of the opponent’s linebacking corps and safeties.
The one player all Seattle Seahawks wide receivers are wanting to face is Rock Ya-Sin. Or Rock Ya-Grab as he’s been nicknamed. He’s a physical corner who doesn’t have the foot speed to catch up once he’s beat. So, as his nickname suggests, he grabs. Thus, earning lots of holding penalties.
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks.
It’s time to put up or shut up. As of now, the Seattle Seahawks are -.35 and under 47.5 points for the game. However, according to ESPN’s matchup predictor, they have the Colts at 51.9% over Seattle’s 47.7%. So, this game should be close.
Consequently, close games typically mean they’re good games. At least from an entertainment standpoint. “Are you not entertained? Are. You. Not. Entertained? Is this not why you are here?” However, we’re fans, and entertainment is second only to winning. It’s tough to make a call this early and with so many unknown variables.
I believe Wentz and Nelson play for the Colts. Thus, making their offense at nearly 100%. Hilton is already out. I wish him the best in his recovery from his neck/back/disc issue. Moreover, I don’t think Fisher plays in week one. Everyone saw Wentz perform last year.
Worst QB in the league. For those who don’t know. Wentz leads the NFL in sacks (50) and interceptions (15). All while only playing in 12 games. Drew Lock also threw 15 picks; however, he did so in 13 games. On the other hand, when paired with Reich, the 2017 version of Wentz shows that Wentz can play at an MVP level.
Subsequently, Wentz won’t be fixed by Week 1. His chemistry with his offense won’t be there. Wilson will operate an efficient offense. However, it most likely won’t show the full complement of a Shane Waldron offensive playbook. The game will be a slugfest with both teams consistently running often into brick walls. The difference is that the Seahawks can make a few big plays on offense and come out victorious in a close game. Seahawks 28 Colts 20.
D.J. Reed, Seattle Seahawks.
NFL season is almost here. So get excited, 12’s! Please share your thoughts on the Week 1 matchup in the comments section below or on social media.