Seattle Seahawks vs. Tennessee Titans: Key Matchups to Watch in Week 16
Seeking a second straight victory to stay alive in the NFC playoff hunt, Leonard Williams and the Seattle Seahawks will travel cross country to duke it out with Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans for a Christmas Eve duel.
Looking towards Sunday's contest in Nashville, which matchups will dictate who snags a late-season win? Here are six positional battles to watch closely at Nissan Stadium:
--Seahawks linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks versus Titans running backs Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears:
While his overall numbers have declined behind a struggling offensive line and he's currently only averaging 3.8 yards per carry, Henry remains the heartbeat of Tennessee's offense in his eighth NFL season. Despite consistently poor blocking in front of him, "Tractorcito" ranks third in the NFL in yards after contact (698) and tied for fifth in missed tackles forced (45), proving he's still a major load to bring down to the ground at 245 pounds. Providing the perfect complement to Henry, the elusive Spears has averaged 3.37 yards after contact, the 10th highest mark out of 61 qualified backs, along with ranking 14th in breakaway run percentage (29.7 percent). In addition, the rookie out of Tulane has snagged 40 receptions out of the backfield, regularly being targeted regardless of who plays quarterback.
Last time Seattle tried to tackle Derrick Henry, he ran wild with 182 rushing yards and three touchdowns at Lumen Field.
© Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Historically, the Seahawks have had major issues defending Henry, whose rare combination of size and speed has been problematic for would-be tacklers. Only two seasons ago, he racked up 182 rushing yards at Lumen Field, including a whopping 160 yards after contact, while finding the end zone three times in a Titans road victory. He also caught six passes for 55 yards, winning frequently against Wagner and Brooks both as a runner and pass catchers. Adding in Spears' versatility as a change of pace back, the dynamic duo may hold the key to the home team pulling an upset on Sunday and both veteran linebackers will have to bring their hard hats ready to wrap each of them up.
--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba versus Titans cornerbacks Tre Avery, Eric Garror, and Roger McCreary: Though the ride hasn't been as smooth as expected with Seattle's offense scuffling at times this season, Metcalf, Lockett, and Smith-Njigba all have a good chance to eclipse 700 receiving yards for the season. With the latter coming on strong in the second half of his rookie year, all three players have eclipsed 50 receptions and 540 receiving yards so far, making them one of only three trios in the NFL to achieve the feat through Week 15. Under normal circumstances with both sides at full strength, this would be an advantageous matchup for the Seahawks, but it is even more so with the litany of injuries in the Titans' secondary.
On the outside, Tennessee already lost Kristian Fulton to a season-ending injury a few weeks ago and former second-round pick Caleb Farley has been out all season on the PUP list, likely forcing Avery and Garror into the starting lineup. In nine games, Avery has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 78 percent of their passes and throw four touchdowns against him for a 140.8 passer rating, which ranks 123rd out of 126 qualified cornerbacks. Albeit in a smaller sample size, Garror has been more serviceable, giving up one touchdown and a 53 percent completion rate, but both players are under 5-11 and will be physically challenged against Metcalf. Meanwhile in the slot, McCreary has been the team's most consistent cornerback and hasn't allowed a touchdown this year, but the duo of Lockett and Smith-Njigba will be one of his biggest tests yet with differing skill sets and strengths.
--Seahawks defensive tackles Jarran Reed, Leonard Williams, and Dre'Mont Jones versus Titans guards Peter Skoronski and Daniel Brunskill, center Aaron Brewer: Once one of the best offensive lines in the AFC, the Titans have struggled to replace numerous departures, including the retirement of Taylor Lewan and exit of Nate Davis in free agency. Even after investing a top-15 pick in Skoronski and signing Brunskill in March after a successful stint in San Francisco, the team currently ranks 24th in PFF's pass blocking grade and 20th in run blocking grade. Brewer has been quite vulnerable in pass protection, allowing three sacks and 29 pressures, the second most for a center in the league. At the guard spots, Skoronski and Brunskill have yielded 26 pressures apiece and rank 42nd and 46th respectively in pass block efficiency rate out of 53 qualified guards.
Over the past month and change, while the Seahawks haven't won many games, the trio of Reed, Williams, and Jones has continued to play well against top-tier offensive lines. Since coming over from the Giants via trade, Williams has 23 pressures and three sacks in just six games and has been a frequent visitor in the backfield. Showing no signs of slowing down, Reed tallied his sixth sack of the year against the Cowboys in Week 14 and ranks in the top 20 for defensive tackles in pressures, sacks, and batted balls at the line of scrimmage. Even Jones, who has not been as disruptive as expected with 4.5 sacks so far, ranks 20th in pressures and 16th in hurries. Going against a starting interior line that has given up more than 80 combined pressures and had issues creating push in the run game all year long, this veteran-laden group should be licking their chops.
--Seahawks running backs Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet versus Titans linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair and Otis Reese IV: While the Titans have significant injuries at cornerback, no position on the roster has been decimated more than the linebacker spot, where the team lost Luke Gifford and Jack Gibbens to season-ending injured reserve on Saturday. Signing a one-year deal in March coming from the 49ers, Al-Shaair has been solid in the middle, providing some pass rushing punch with 11 pressures and totaling 35 run stops, fourth best in the NFL among linebackers. But next to him, Tennessee will be playing someone who hasn't logged a defensive snap all year, whether it is an undrafted 214-pound rookie in Reese or third-year pro Garrett Wallow.
Without Gifford or Gibbens, the Titans lack much size at linebacker, and even with Gibbens in the lineup the past two weeks, they have yielded 158 and 148 rushing yards in successive defeats. Led by the electric Walker and bruising Charbonnet, the Seahawks have two runners capable of going the distance once they get to the second level and making defenders miss in space. Going against untested, undersized linebackers next to Al-Shaair, who isn't built like a prototypical player at the position either, both backs should be able to do significant damage if they are able to consistently get through the defensive line with a full head of steam. The passing game will also be an area to watch due to the inexperience disadvantage on the other side of the ball.
--Seahawks cornerbacks Mike Jackson, Tre Brown, and Artie Burns versus Titans receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks, and Chris Moore: Cut free by the Cardinals during the offseason, Hopkins has been worth every penny for the Titans despite playing with three different quarterbacks. Now in his 11th NFL season, the perennial All-Pro leads the team in receptions, scored six of nine touchdowns by receivers, and has produced more than double the yardage of any other receiver or tight end on the team. Though his game has never been predicated on being a burner, he remains a viable big play threat with excellent route running and an uncanny ability to win jump balls on vertical routes. Whether Jackson, Brown, or Riq Woolen lines up across from him, the Seahawks will likely need to have extra help ready for coverage support.
If there's good news for Seattle, however, bracketing Hopkins shouldn't be difficult to scheme up against a Tennessee passing offense that has been looking for a viable No. 2 and No. 3 receiver to emerge all season. Limited to just eight games, Burks has only caught 12 passes for 185 yards and no touchdowns when healthy, while Nick Westbrook-Ikrine landed on injured reserve recently and will miss the rest of the season. While Burks is expected to play and has big play capability as a former first-round pick, the combination of Moore, Kyle Phillips, and Colton Dowell won't strike fear in anyone. Given the Seahawks' struggles defending the pass for much of the year, nothing will come easy, but this should be an opponent where they have a clear talent edge on the outside if they can prevent Hopkins from going off.
--Seahawks guards Damien Lewis and Anthony Bradford, center Evan Brown versus Titans defensive tackles Quinton Bohanna, Keondre Coburn, and Jaleel Johnson: Catching another break on the injury front, the Seahawks won't have to deal with All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, whose season came to an end with a knee injury on Saturday. This comes on the heels of the surprising release of Teair Tart, who started nine games next to Simmons before being let go and joining the Texans. With those two no longer in the picture, the Titans will be rolling with a mostly unproven defensive line core consisting of the 360-pound Bohanna, the 332-pound Coburn, and Johnson, the lone veteran of the group. Given their sheer size, Bohanna and Coburn can be difficult to move at the line of scrimmage and create problems against the run simply by taking up space, while Johnson has a similar skill set.
But despite having no shortage of massive men in the middle, that size didn't translate to success stopping the run last week with Bohanna and Coburn in the lineup for the first time as the Texans rushed for nearly 150 yards. Dating back to college, neither offers much as a pass rusher either, while Johnson has only eclipsed 1.5 sacks once in his seven NFL seasons. After finding success against a far more talented Eagles defensive line that had plenty of big bodies to deal with a week ago, the trio of Lewis, Bradford, and Brown will aim to keep that momentum going in a matchup where zone concepts may be the best way to attack a group lacking athleticism and lateral quickness while holding serve protecting Geno Smith inside out.
