Picks to Click: Seahawks vs. Titans
Week 1 could not have gone any better for the Seahawks despite travelling to Indianapolis for an early-morning kickoff with a new offensive coordinator in tow. Exploding for 21 first-half points and hounding Colts quarterback Carson Wentz all day long, it was a dominant performance from start to finish for Pete Carroll's crew.
Now the Seahawks turn their attention to a talented Titans team coming off a brutal 38-13 loss to the Cardinals at home. But with Derrick Henry, Julio Jones, A.J. Brown and company, Tennessee is a more formidable opponent than what the result of its previous game illustrates. Therefore, Seattle looks to be in for a tough matchup in the first regular season game with fans in attendance at Lumen Field since December of 2019.
Here are my five "picks to click" for the Seahawks in this game. Note: Russell Wilson is exempt simply because picking him feels too on the nose. If most of the offensive players mentioned in this list "click," then it should be assumed Wilson has as well.
RB Chris Carson
Carson was one of my picks last week against a stingy Colts run defense and he greatly helped the Seahawks stay balanced in their approach on Sunday, registering 91 yards on 16 carries. Now he gets a shot at one of the worst run defenses in the NFL last year, which gave up 116 yards (4.8 yards per carry) to Cardinals running backs Chase Edmonds and James Conner in Week 1. Even if Seattle left guard Damien Lewis (groin) is unable to suit up in this one, Carson's combination of physicality and elusiveness should make for a really nice day at the office.
WR DK Metcalf
The Titans' defense is suspect up and down, and for as bad as they were playing the run last year, they were even worse against the pass (28th in yards allowed). Personnel-wise, Tennessee just doesn't have the talent in its secondary to keep up with the speed of Metcalf or Tyler Lockett. Add in Metcalf's size and strength and it looks to be an awful disadvantage for either Kristian Fulton (six-foot, 305/8-inch arms) or Jackrabbit—formerly known as Janoris—Jenkins (5-foot-10, 32-inch arms), even with safety help. Lockett should have a productive day as well, but Metcalf is in line for a monster afternoon with his college teammate, A.J. Brown, watching on the other sideline.
TE Gerald Everett
Though he only caught two passes, we saw a little bit of everything from Everett against the Colts. His presence alone changes the makeup of Seattle's offense in a considerable way, forcing opposing defenses to respect him along with Metcalf and Lockett. From screens to being split out wide and in the slot, Everett could be an absolute mismatch for the Titans' defense, which gave up 840 yards and eight touchdowns to tight ends last year.
DT Poona Ford
I almost wanted to put the entire Seahawks' defensive line here after what they did in Indy, but I whittled my pick down to one specific name: Ford. The Titans' offensive line as a whole was dreadful against the Cardinals, but right guard Nate Davis' performance especially stood out for all the wrong reasons. Davis allowed a whopping five interior pressures on the day, tied for most on the team with left tackle Taylor Lewan. If Davis doesn't take a massive step forward this week, Ford will eat for all four quarters and blow up Tennessee's pass protection and run game from the jump.
LB Bobby Wagner
While much of the attention in the buildup to this one has been put on the elite receiving duo of Jones and Brown, the Titans will have to win this game by letting Henry take over. Henry is naturally going to pick up yardage, but it's up to Wagner to keep those gains to a minimum in the second level and get his teammates lined up in the correct run fits. Ultimately, this has the makings of a pay-per-view boxing match, featuring two of the league's most physical players going head-to-head with one another. Seeing Wagner and Henry collide will be something to behold on Sunday, and if anyone is built to keep the former Heisman Trophy winner at bay, it's the future Hall of Fame linebacker.
2021 Picks to Click
