Seattle vs Atlanta (ATL -3, 51.5)
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Seahawks vs. Falcons | Sunday, October 20, 2024
This is a very intriguing battle between two teams tied at the top of their respective divisions; however, their journeys to get there couldn’t be more different. Seattle started hot but has lost their last three, whereas the Atlanta Falcons have won their last three, including two impressive division victories over the Buccaneers and Saints.
Geno Smith has been far from perfect, but he is leading the league in passing yards, with 1,778 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions. It is worth noting that his 250 pass attempts are 26 more than Dak Prescott, who has attempted the second-highest number of passes, with 224. This is representative of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's exciting new pass attack, which will be tested by Atlanta’s top 10 passing defense. Led by AJ Terrell and Jessie Bates, the Falcons are conceding just 193 passing yards per game, but will have their work cut out this weekend going up against DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jackson Smith-Njigba.
This impressive performance from the Atlanta secondary has been happening despite their lackluster pass rush, which has produced a league-low five sacks on the season so far. Matthew Judon was brought in this preseason to help with this aspect of the game, but it is certainly an area that the Falcons are still struggling in. This is good news for Geno Smith and his loaded offense.
The Falcons also have some exciting offensive playmakers to boast about, with Kirk Cousins’ arrival finally helping to unleash wide receiver Drake London. He has 428 yards and four touchdowns on the season, including a monster 12-catch, 154-yard, and one-touchdown performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kyle Pitts has even chipped in with a few big performances recently, and this matchup against the Seahawks secondary will be another fun watch.
Seattle is on par with Atlanta in terms of their pass defense, coming in 10th, with 195 yards conceded per game. These numbers may be somewhat generous to Seattle, who came into this year with high expectations thanks to their exciting young cornerback duo of Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon. Last week, they gave up 255 yards and three touchdowns to Brock Purdy, and two weeks before that, they allowed Jared Goff to complete 100% of his passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns. It will be interesting to see if Cousins can have the same success this weekend.
But it’s not just Cousins and London that Seattle has to worry about, with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier both averaging 4.6 yards per carry or more on the season so far. Collectively, those two accumulated over 200 yards against the Panthers last week, and they will be eyeing up this soft Seattle run defense with excitement, considering the Seahawks are conceding 144 yards per game on the ground, which is 27th in the NFL.
There are good matchups all over in this game, reflected in the fact that it has been given a very high total of 51 points by the bookies. Definitely one to keep an eye on.
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Seahawk +3