Key Matchups To Look For Between The Seattle Seahawks And Atlanta Falcons
Gone is the Legion of Boom.
Last season, the Seattle Seahawks ranked worse than the Atlanta Falcons in most defensive metrics. But led by MVP-caliber quarterback Russell Wilson, Seattle’s offense is as explosive as ever.
An offensive team with a leaky defense? Sounds just like the Falcons.
The Seahawks finished 11-5 and made the playoffs in 2019, so they’ll be a good first test for Atlanta’s revamped roster. Below are some key matchups to watch during Sunday’s Week 1 game.
RUSSELL WILSON VS. ATLANTA’S PASS RUSH
The 2019 Falcons went as their pass rush went.
In their seven victories, they rattled off 24 sacks. In their nine losses, four total sacks.
Because of this, they invested in their pass rush this offseason, cutting ties with Vic Beasley, signing Dante Fowler Jr. and drafting Marlon Davidson.
Sunday, Atlanta needs those transactions to pay off. It has to get after Russell Wilson.
Seattle’s porous offensive line surrendered an average of three sacks a game last year, which ranked in the bottom third of the league. Wilson was still one of the most accurate passers in the NFL, however, leading all quarterbacks in deep-ball completion percentage.
Atlanta needs to create pressure early against Wilson, especially with the mobile quarterback throwing to receivers like D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. With time to throw, Wilson could expose the inexperienced Falcons secondary.
TODD GURLEY II VS. BOBBY WAGNER AND JAMAL ADAMS
All offseason, one of the Falcons’ biggest questions was, “Is Todd Gurley II healthy?” We’ll get a glimpse of the answer Sunday.
Gurley matches up against two tackling machines from the Seahawks’ defense.
Bobby Wagner is the last holdover from Seattle’s Super Bowl units from six years ago. He maintained his dominance last year, recording a league-leading 159 tackles.
Jamal Adams was the Seahawks’ offseason splash. The safety is capable of covering Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley down the field but can also hang around the box to stop the run and rush the passer.
In his first year in Atlanta, Gurley hopes to get off to a quick start and return to his former All-Pro form. He finished last year with career lows in carries (223) and yards (857).
PETE CARROLL VS. DAN QUINN
The master against his former apprentice.
Quinn served as Carroll’s defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014 before taking over as head coach in Atlanta. Carroll has experienced sustained success in Seattle, while Quinn's units have struggled the past two seasons after two consecutive playoff appearances in 2016 and 2017.
One of the main differences between Seattle and Atlanta is the teams' differing results in one-score games.
In 2019, Seattle won 11 games. Every single one of those came by eight or fewer points. They lost only three one-possession contests.
The Falcons, on the other hand, went 3-6 in one-score games.
Seattle made the playoffs, and Atlanta watched them from home, despite the two teams having comparable talent.
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