The Buffalo Bills (5-2) are seeking their third straight victory when they travel to Lumen Field to take on the Seattle Seahawks (4-3) on Sunday afternoon in a matchup of first-place teams. This is Buffalo's first trip to the Pacific Northwest since the 2016 season. To get you ready for the game, on this week’s episode of the Billieve podcast, we're joined by Mookie Alexander, who covers the Seahawks as Team Community Producer and Managing Editor for the SB Nation website, Field Gulls. We start by discussing the state of the Seahawks, including what happened to the home-field advantage Seattle used to enjoy thanks to their 12th Man. From 2010 to 2016, the Seahawks went 48-13 at home, but since 2017, they are only 29-24 and have lost two straight home games heading into their showdown with Buffalo. We examine the career resurgence QB Geno Smith has experienced in Seattle after flaming out as a second-round draft pick of the New York Jets in 2013. Smith leads the NFL in passing yards per game (283.6) and has been an effective QB despite his misleading TD-to-INT ratio (8 TDs with 6 INTs). Smith and the Seahawks are averaging 25.7 points per game, tied for eighth-best in the NFL, despite Smith playing behind an injured offensive line that has allowed him to be pressured on 36% of his dropbacks. As the 28th-ranked offensive line according to Pro Football Focus, the Seahawks are missing several starters, and this is a unit that has struggled with pass protection. Greg Rousseau, who has been dominant against RTs this year, should be in line for a huge game. We explore the weapons around Smith, including RB Kenneth Walker III, who has battled injuries and inconsistency but could be in line for a big game against a Buffalo defense that is almost always light in the box with only two linebackers on the field, is surrendering 5.1 yards per rush (fourth-worst), and will be without starting LB Terrel Bernard. Alexander also provides the latest update on injured WR D.K. Metcalf, including how the loss of the explosive playmaker would be a major blow for Seattle, which, without Metcalf, would be banking on its possession WRs in Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and the unheralded TE Noah Fant, who has caught his last 21 targets. Defensively, this is a Seahawks unit that can be scored upon. Seattle is surrendering 23.4 ppg. First-year head coach Mike MacDonald came to Seattle after making a name for himself as the Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator, a squad that caused Josh Allen and the Bills offense troubles in Week 4. We examine the similarities between what this defense likes to run—excelling with simulated pressure and is fourth in the NFL in pressure rate (40.4%) and ninth in sack percentage (8%)—and what the Baltimore defense did to confuse Allen. The Seahawks are vulnerable on the ground, allowing 5 yards per carry, a good sign for James Cook, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson. This will be a big test for Buffalo, but we expect the Bills O-line to hold their own against Seattle. Another way the Seahawks are vulnerable is through the play-action pass. Could this be the week Allen breaks out a few play-action passes? The addition of WR Amari Cooper immediately opened things up for Allen and the passing game last week vs. the Titans, and the expectation is Cooper will shoulder more of the responsibility this week. Watching WRs Cooper, Keon Coleman, and Khalil Shakir, along with TE Dalton Kincaid, go up against a talented Seahawks secondary, led by nickel CB Devon Witherspoon, is one of the key matchups to watch on Sunday. We close by offering up score predictions as the Bills look to pick up a big road win. Get involved with our show on Twitter (@JohnBoccacino) and be sure to follow the Rumblings Network and Buffalo Rumblings on Twitter, too. The new Rumblings Cast boasts a talented lineup, including Billieve, The Bruce Exclusive, Jamie D & Big Newt, Leading the Charge, In The Trenches, The Chop Up, and The Code of Conduct.
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2024/11/061 時間 12 分
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