Seattle Seahawks vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Star WRs Headline Key Matchups to Watch
Looking to improve to 3-0 on the road for the first time since 2019 and capture a fourth consecutive victory coming out of their bye, the Seattle Seahawks will hit the road for a 10 AM PT kickoff in a critical Week 6 tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In a contest featuring plenty of early season playoff implications, which matchups will have the greatest bearing on which team snags a signature win? Here are six positional battles to keep an eye on at Paycor Stadium on Sunday:
--Seahawks cornerbacks Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, and Mike Jackson versus Bengals receivers Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd: Coming off a breakout performance on Monday Night Football that culminated with winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week, Witherspoon will face his toughest test yet against Chase, one of the NFL's premier receivers. Along with being a quality route runner from the boundary and the slot with big play capabilities downfield, the former LSU star shares similarities to Deebo Samuel after the catch, creating big chunks of yardage with the ball in his hands. In 2022, he finished fourth in missed tackles forced (18) while racking up 509 yards after the catch and so far this year, he ranks second in yards after the catch and sixth in missed tackles forced. The onus will fall on Witherspoon and his cornerback counterparts to prevent him from beating them deep and quickly get him to the ground when Joe Burrow finds him in the passing game to limit damage after the reception.
After a somewhat slow start by his standards, Ja'Marr Chase cooked the Cardinals with three touchdown receptions in the Bengals 34-20 road win in Week 5.
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Away from Chase, the Bengals will likely have Higgins back in the mix after sitting out last week with a rib injury and though he has yet to record a reception of 20-plus yards, the 6-4 wideout historically has been a capable vertical threat whose size creates mismatch problems in the intermediate game. Given his size and athleticism, Woolen may be the best natural fit to cover him, though Jackson has enough length and physicality to match up against him as well. As one of the best third targets in the league, veteran Tyler Boyd has recorded at least 800 receiving yards each of the past two seasons dominating from the slot and his craftiness as a route runner could also pose potential issues for the Seahawks attacking the middle of the field.
--Seahawks tackles Charles Cross and Jake Curhan versus Bengals defensive ends Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard: Following a three-game absence recovering from a sprained big toe, Seattle couldn't be happier to have Cross back in the lineup at left tackle to spar against one of the league's most prolific quarterback hunters in Hendrickson. The second-year blocker will have to have his "sweet feet" operating at full capacity after a month-long layoff, as the 270-pound Hendrickson possesses outstanding speed and burst off the edge and excels at bending around the corner to collapse on the pocket. After amassing 20 sacks in his first two seasons in Cincinnati, the seventh-year veteran already has six sacks and 22 pressures this year and has the talent to wreck game plans if he isn't kept in check, putting plenty of pressure on Cross in his return to action.
On the opposite side of the line of scrimmage, Curhan will make his fourth consecutive start in place of an injured Abraham Lucas and after surrendering 19 pressures and two sacks so far this year, he won't have an easy matchup either against Hubbard. While the former Ohio State star doesn't have the gaudy sack numbers on his resume Hendrickson does, he has surpassed double digit quarterback hits each of the past four seasons and produced at least 6.5 sacks in three of those seasons. Capable of winning with speed and power, he already has 12 pressures this season and has consistently held up well against the run throughout his career, making this an important trench battle to watch closely on Sunday.
--Seahawks defensive tackles Dre'Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, and Mario Edwards versus Bengals center Ted Karras and guards Cordell Volson/Alex Cappa: Over the past couple of years, Cincinnati has retooled its offensive line through free agency and the draft, including signing Karras and Cappa as well as drafting Volson before the 2022 season. Unfortunately, in regard to protecting Burrow, those investments haven't paid off to this point. Karras, who formerly started for the Patriots and Dolphins, already has allowed four sacks this season and his 97.2 percent pass block efficiency would be the lowest of his career. Meanwhile, Volson has yielded 14 pressures and a pair of sacks in five starts and Cappa has only been slightly better, giving up nine pressures and no sacks thus far.
Already with 12 pressures, Mario Edwards has been a free agent bargain for the Seahawks thus far and could have another big game on tap against as susceptible Bengals interior offensive line.
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Viewed as a question mark going into the season, even with Jones off to a slow start with only one sack in four games, Seattle has received quality contributions from a new-look defensive line. Rejuvenated in his return to the Seahawks, Reed ranks sixth among defensive tackles in ESPN's Pass Rush Win Rate and already has 15 pressures, serving as a catalyst for a much-improved pass rush as a whole. Edwards has been a pleasant surprise as well, producing 12 pressures, a sack, and a forced fumble while also holding serve against the run. With those three veterans and Myles Adams all playing well as of late, this could be a significant area of advantage for the visitors with hopes of speeding up the clock on Burrow with constant interior pressure.
--Seahawks running backs Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet versus Bengals linebackers Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt: Amid a 2-3 start, the Bengals surprisingly have had significant issues defending the run after finishing seventh in rushing defense a year ago. Currently ranked second in the league behind only the Broncos in missed tackles on run plays (33), the inability to bring down ball carriers has played a pivotal role in those struggles and while Wilson and Pratt don't deserve to shoulder all of the blame for that problem, they have combined to miss nine tackles so far at the linebacker spots. Teams have had great success when backs have gotten to the second level of Cincinnati's defense, which has given up a league-high 23 explosive runs of 10 or more yards.
With Cross and guard Phil Haynes both expected back in the lineup, the Seahawks will have their healthiest offensive line since the season opener in front of Walker and Charbonnet, who have ran well despite the injuries up front. The speedy Walker already has eight runs of 10-plus yards and ranks seventh in breakaway percentage and missed tackles, while Charbonnet has been a complementary battering ram rushing for 68 of his 104 yards after contact while averaging a healthy five yards per tote. Considering the Bengals woes missing tackles and allowing big plays on the ground, leaning on that tandem could be an ideal formula for success to control the clock and set up shot plays in the play action passing game.
--Seahawks linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks versus Bengals running back Joe Mixon: With Burrow at the controls and one of the best receiving trios in the sport, the Bengals have been a pass-heavy team for the past two years, finishing 29th or worse in rushing yards each season. This year, even with the quarterback ailing from a calf injury in the first several games, that trend hasn't changed with Zac Taylor's team currently ranked 31st in rushing yardage. But in spite of those numbers, Mixon remains a dangerous weapon out of the backfield, including as a pass catcher. Though he only has 80 receiving yards so far in 2023, he finished fifth among backs last year with 60 catches for 441 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Leading the charge for a Seahawks defense ranked sixth in rushing yards and first in yards per carry allowed, Wagner has been a stabilizing presence in the middle in his return to the team, racking up 50 tackles and 22 run stops netting two or fewer yards. Brooks has been sharp as well, flying all over the field making tackles sideline to sideline less than 10 months after surgery to repair a torn ACL. But both of those players will be tested by Mixon, who has excellent burst and power at 220 pounds and also can create issues for linebackers horizontally in the passing game.
--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba versus Bengals cornerbacks Cam Taylor-Britt, Chidobe Awuzie, and Mike Hilton:
Compared to their run defense, the Bengals haven't been quite as forgiving in regard to explosive plays in the passing game, surrendering 14 pass plays of 20 or more yards while ranking 11th in total passing yards allowed. They have also been opportunistic getting their hands on the football with six interceptions and 16 pass breakups, but much of that production has actually come from linebacker and safety. At the corner spot, Taylor-Britt has been the clear standout, intercepting a pass and breaking up two passes while only allowing a 52 percent completion rate in coverage. Still, he has yielded nearly 19 yards per reception, proving himself vulnerable at times to giving up big plays downfield.
With Awuzie's status up in the air due to a back injury, rookie DJ Turner could be in line for his second straight start on the outside. The second-round pick from Michigan has impressed early, but at only 5-11, his lack of size could present a prime one-on-one for the 6-4 Metcalf to feast on. Meanwhile, Hilton has allowed 151 receiving yards from the slot through five games for a respectable 76.1 passer rating, creating an interesting matchup against Smith-Njigba in his return to Ohio as well as Lockett splitting his time inside with the boundary. If Geno Smith has time to throw, Cincinnati has been susceptible to splash plays and Seattle has the receiver talent to capitalize, but he will have to be careful with ball placement against a defense that loves to create turnovers.
