Week Five: Seattle Seahawks vs New Orleans Saints. Saints are predicted to win by five points. We’ll see about that. My wish list isn’t long this week, but I’ll be happy if these boxes are ticked. Let’s go:
- Improved play by the defense. To drill that down a little more, I’d like to see two things: a nasty pass rush and stronger defense against the run. Andy Dalton is in at quarterback for an injured Jameis Winston. I would love to see him menaced and harassed all day long. Sack that dork! On the running side of things, Alvin Kamara is back for the Saints after recovering from a rib injury. He needs to be contained. And if the Seattle front seven continues to be leaky against the run, this game could be a long ugly ordeal. (It will be way to early in the morning for that.)
- Continued evolution to the Seahawks run game. I liked what we saw last week. I’m greedy for more. Give me Rashaad Penny for 150 yards rushing!
- DK Metcalf bringing nothing but misery to the Saints secondary.
Players to watch this week: Charles Cross and Abe Lucas. These two rookie tackles have brought fresh (and much needed) verve to the Seahawks offensive line and continue to grow week after week. They’re both ranked among the top offensive rookies for pass protection. There have been mistakes, for sure, and there have been challenges with run blocking. But their trajectory is steadily and unquestionably upward.
Fun but only partially related fact: I was in New Orleans for the 2020 playoff game between the Seahawks and the Packers and had the pleasure of watching the game with the Seahawks 12’s of New Orleans at a bar in the French Quarter. They were the best of hosts, and despite the loss, we had a rollicking good time. My son Emmett was with me, which made it all the sweeter. Emmett enjoyed the blue and green Jello shots that were passed around after each touchdown. Some Packer fans sitting nearby did not care for his trash talking. Mom, however, couldn’t have been prouder.
One final note…How ‘bout those Mariners? Good lord, what a game!
