NFC West co-leader Seahawks visits NFC South leader Falcons, who are short Favorite on the NFL Odds in Week 7

Two NFC playoff hopefuls on opposite three-game streaks meet on Sunday afternoon as NFC West co-leader Seattle (3-3) visits NFC South leader Atlanta (4-2).

The Falcons comes as short favorites on the NFL odds, as it’s one of those tricky 10 a.m. Pacific time kickoffs for the Seahawks.

Seattle Seahawks +127

The Seahawks have followed a 3-0 start with three straight losses following a 36-24 defeat at home to San Francisco on Thursday in Week 6. GM Geno Smith completed 30 of 52 passes for 312 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, and rushed once for no gain. It was just the second game in Smith’s career with 50 or more attempts, the other being Seattle’s Week 4 loss in Detroit.

Geno Smith

Smith was able to post his third 300-yard effort of the season, but it was partly marred by his second multi-interception tally. Both of Smith’s picks were costly, with the first short-circuiting the opening possession of the game at the 49ers’ two-yard line and the second coming in Seattle territory just before the midway point of the fourth quarter and the Seahawks down by six.

Kenneth Walker

Walker rushed 14 times for 32 yards and a touchdown, and secured all eight targets for 37 yards in the loss. His reception total was a career high, but he has now gained just 51 yards on 19 carries over his last pair of contests.

DK Metcalf

No. 1 wideout Metcalf had a quiet game. He was targeted eight times but caught only three for 48 yards, although he had a stellar 52-yard grab wiped out by a penalty. Metcalf put together three consecutive 100-yard tallies in Weeks 2-4, but he’s now generated back-to-back sub-60-yard efforts. Through six games, Metcalf ranks fourth in the NFL with 469 receiving yards, and he has scored touchdowns of 56 and 71 yards. But Metcalf knows those big games can’t also include turnovers. Twice he has fumbled while fighting for extra yardage, then against the Niners he tried to make a route adjustment to create a big play, and in all three cases, opponents turned those turnovers into touchdowns.

DK Metcalf is 26 and has 50 career touchdowns to his name. I’m sorry but you just don’t trade away a talent like him. “Oh he’s gonna ask for so much for his next contact” okay? So pay him? Some folks realize how much of a unicorn DK truly is. #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/dssHznGYXe

— Kole Musgrove (@KoleMusgrove23) October 17, 2024

“The biggest thing for me is, we’ve got to win games,” he said. “That’s why I’m here, that’s why I like playing football is to win football games and try to do whatever it takes to put myself and everybody else in the best position to do that. So evaluating my season, I think I’ve done a pretty good job, but not giving the ball away. I’ve been at the scene of three turnovers this year, so it’s eliminating those and just taking care of the football and just continue to do my job.”

Seattle turned it over three times vs. the Niners, the fourth time in six games the Seahawks have committed multiple turnovers. They have a minus-10 turnover differential. In addition to the offense committing turnovers, the defense hasn’t been coming up with takeaways, recording just one in the past five games after getting three in the opener.

The Seahawks’ cornerback situation bears watching as they prepare to play the Falcons. Riq Woolen, who missed last week’s game with an ankle injury, didn’t practice through Thursday this week. Neither has Tre Brown, who hurt his ankle vs. San Francisco. Seattle already put nickelback Artie Burns on IR earlier this week after he re-injured his toe in that game.

Byron Murphy II

DT Murphy II, out the last three games with a hamstring injury, was limited. He seems to be trending towards returning vs. Atlanta. With Murphy back, their D-line rotation will be deeper, and life will be easier on their second-level defenders as well, with Murphy there to control gaps and command double-teams. The Seahawks put outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu on IR last week and don’t expect him to return until late in the season.

Jerrick Reed II

Safety Reed II was designated to return to practice after spending the first six weeks of the season on the PUP list. Reed’s return could be an important addition to the safety room that just lost Rayshawn Jenkins for at least the next four games as he was placed on injured reserve. Jenkins has played every snap this season but has been listed on Seattle’s practice reports the past two weeks as having a hand injury. He has worn a cast over his left hand in each of the past two games.

The Trade

This week, Seattle traded for defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris from Jacksonville. He has 19 sacks and 26 tackles for loss in 106 career games, including two sacks and three TFLs in six games this season. The Seahawks have allowed the third-most rushing yards in the NFL over their three-game losing streak that followed a 3-0 start.

Atlanta Falcons -156

The Falcons have followed a 1-2 start with three straight wins after trouncing the Panthers 38-20 on the road Sunday. For the first time all season, Atlanta led by more than eight points. It happened in the second quarter and then again with 5:38 left in the game after a Tyler Allgeier rushing touchdown. It was their first win this season in which they didn’t trail in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

Kirk Cousins

Cousins completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 225 yards and a touchdown without turning the ball over. Cousins cruised to victory on the back of impressive rushing performances from Bijan Robinson (15-95-2) and Allgeier (18-105-1). The Falcons came in with the fifth-fewest rushing yards in the league (484), averaging just 96.8 yards per game. Drake London caught 6-of-10 targets for 74 yards and the Cousins touchdown pass.

After a slow start offensively, Atlanta seems to have found its groove. The team is eighth in the league in yards per game (368.3) and London is tied for second in the NFL in receiving touchdowns (4). The combo of Robinson and Allgeier combined for 200 rushing yards and those three touchdowns in the divisional win over Carolina. It was the first time since Oct. 2016 that the Falcons had two running backs with over 100 yards from scrimmage. The Falcons saw significant success on runs outside the tackles, accumulating 142 yards on 24 such carries.

“Sometimes,” Cousins said, “you throw to score, and you run to win, and being able to run the football makes a difference.”

The Record

The Falcons’ 74 combined points from the last two games marks the highest two-game total for Atlanta since Weeks 14 and 15 of the 2016 season — 42 in a Week 14 win against the Los Angeles Rams and 41 in a Week 15 win against the San Francisco 49ers, which equates to 83 points.

Nate Landman

Starting linebacker Landman totaled eight tackles (four solo) and forced two fumbles in the win after missing four games with a calf injury. He has been limited this week in practice but should play. Ditto former All-Pro safety Justin Simmons after injuring his hamstring against the Panthers. Another starting linebacker, Troy Andersen, has missed the past two and is questionable.

Micah Abernathy

Safety Abernathy was placed on injured reserve this week after getting hurt vs. Carolina. Abernathy played a large role on the Falcons’ special teams through the first six games, taking 70% of their snaps before his injury. He took 92% in the Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, for example.

Seattle leads the league with 276.7 passing yards per game while the Falcons currently rank No. 6 with 254.7 yards. The Seahawks rank bottom-five in rushing yards per game, however, and while the Falcons aren’t much higher (No. 21), they did have their largest rushing output of the season last Sunday.

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— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 17, 2024

How to Watch Seahawks at Falcons

When: Sunday, 1 PM ET
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
TV: FOX
Radio: http://www.siriusxm.com/nfl
Stream Option: https://tv.youtube.com/learn/nflsundayticket/

Seahawks vs Falcons Series History

Including two playoff matchups, Seattle is 12-9 all-time vs. Atlanta. They last played early in the 2022 season and the Falcons won 27-23 in the Pacific Northwest behind 141 yards rushing and a TD from Cordarrelle Patterson, who is now with Pittsburgh. Marcus Mariota was the Falcons’ QB then and threw for 223 yards and a TD to WR Drake London, who is still with the team. Seattle quarterback Geno Smith threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted by Richie Grant on a desperation fourth-and-18 from the Atlanta 38 with 1:30 remaining.

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