Seattle Seahawks Vs. Atlanta Falcons: Best Offense, Best Defense In NFL Faceoff
Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons game previews indicate the importance of this NFC showdown. The Seahawks come into the game with a 3-1 record, putting the team atop the NFC West standings, and the 4-1 Falcons currently reside in first place in the NFC South. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, both teams are looking at high seeding in the latest NFL playoff standings. Within the Week 6 NFL schedule, this game stands out as one that will directly affect how the NFC plays out this season.
The Seahawks vs. Falcons game takes place on Sunday, October 17, pitting one of the best offenses (Atlanta) against one of the best defenses (Seattle) this year. In the updated defensive rankings, the Seahawks give up the fewest yards of any team in the NFL. Allowing just 264 yards a game, the Seahawks are also giving up just 13.5 points a contest. Not only have the Seahawks been shutting down the running game of their opponents, but the passing defense is even better than it has been in the past.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Atlanta Falcons average the most yards per game this season. With a total of 2,287 yards through five games, that works out to an average of 457.4 yards per game for the Falcons. It ranks the Falcons as the best team in the NFL when it comes to yardage, but the Falcons also lead the NFL in points per game at 35. The closest team to that mark are the San Diego Chargers at 30.4 points per game.
Game time for the Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons is 1:25 p.m. PT on Sunday, October 17. A strong possibility exists that the game will have a lot of rain and wind. Storms are hammering the Pacific Northwest on Thursday (October 13), and they are expected to continue through the weekend. This could either slow things down a lot on offense or simply force the teams to rely more on the running game than during the first five weeks of the regular season.
On the ground, the Falcons average 124 rushing yards per game, while the Seahawks have only put up 93 rushing yards on average. The Seahawks have relied more heavily on the passing game than in the past, in part because quarterback Russell Wilson has been dealing with a leg injury. This has forced Wilson to become more of a pocket passer for the Seahawks, but the team hasn’t lost a game since he got hurt. Coming off a bye week, he should be even further rested for this game against the Falcons.
The importance of this Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons game cannot be overstated. With the Minnesota Vikings holding a 5-0 record that leads the NFL, the battle for one of the top two seeds in the NFC could get very intense this season. Securing a victory in this head-to-head game would be extremely beneficial to both teams, especially with the momentum it could create during the tough middle weeks of the season. While the Falcons still have a bye week to look forward to, the Seahawks have to prove that they haven’t slowed down after taking a week off.
Most NFL experts are picking the Seahawks to win this game, with a previous report by the Inquisitr serving as a resource for that information. The Dallas Cowboys (4-1) and Green Bay Packers (3-1) play each other as well, raising the stakes for all the top contenders in the NFC. With this game taking place in Seattle, the Seahawks have a big advantage due to the crowd noise. The fans who brave the rough weather will be tasked with creating havoc for the Falcons to deal with on offense.
Kickoff for the Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons game should be right around 1:25 p.m. PT/4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 17.
[Featured Image by Elsa/Getty Images]
