The Seattle Seahawks have a big game on Sunday, going on the road to face their first AFC opponent of the year in the Cincinnati Bengals. Coming into the season we expected Cincinnati to be a Super Bowl contender and while their year hasn’t started off too well this is still a good measuring stick game.
Here are 11 things to know about both teams heading into their Week 6 matchup.
1
Cincinnati is loaded at wide receiver
The first thing to know about this Cincinnati team is that they have the best wide receiver corps in the NFL. Last season Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd combined for over 2,800 yards and 21 touchdowns. This year through five games they’re already up to 771 yards and five scores. Chase is the best of them and whoever draws the assignment will have what may be the most critical one-on-one matchup this week.
2
Seattle is stacked at cornerback
The Bengals receivers will get a good test on Sunday, though as they face one of the youngest and deepest cornerback rooms in football. Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen bring two very different but highly-accomplished skill sets to the boundary positions and Witherspoon also thrived in the slot last week. Tre Brown, Mike Jackson and several other quality backups stand ready to help out, as well.
3
Seahawks tight ends are feasting
One of the most pleasant surprises over the last two seasons has been the performance of Seattle’s trio of tight ends. Will Dissly, Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson are not stars, but they’re all playing better than average. This year they’re even better – and no team has been more efficient using 12 personnel than the Seahawks this year.
4
The Bengals are bad against the run
Ken Walker has looked phenomenal on film all year, but he hasn’t yet had a truly explosive outing in the box score. That could change this week as he’ll be going up against one of the worst run defenses in the league. So far Cincinnati has allowed 154.0 rushing yards per game this year, the second-most in the NFL. We’re feeling a 200+ scrimmage yards game for Walker coming on.
5
Seattle is now elite against the run
In a total 180 degree turn from last season, these Seahawks are now one of the best teams in the league against the run. Heading into Week 6 they’re only allowing 87.5 rushing yards per game. That’s way, way down from the 150.2 they gave up last year. Only five teams around the NFL are allowing less yards on the ground per game this season.
6
Joe Burrow had been playing hurt
The No. 1 reason why the Bengals come into this week with a 2-3 record is that quarterback Joe Burrow was playing through a calf injury for the first month of the season. Through their first four games Burrow only managed two touchdown passes to go with two interceptions and didn’t crack more than 259 yards in a single game.
7
Joe Burrow seems to be fine now
However, Seahawks fans shouldn’t expect to see that diminished version of Joe Burrow on the field this week. In last Sunday’s win over the Cardinals, Burrow looked much more like his former top-five self. He posted 317 yards, three touchdowns and a season-high 108.1 passer rating.
8
Seahawks pass rush lit up Weeks 3-4
One of the biggest stories last season was Seattle’s inability to get consistent pressure on opposing QBs. Through the first two weeks of the season it looked like that issue would continue. However, over the last two games the Seahawks pass rush has burst onto the scene. They demolished both the Panthers and the Giants offensive lines, racking up a total of 14 sacks in two weeks. If the Bengals OL isn’t up to the challenge of slowing down that momentum, Seattle could pull off an upset.
9
Geno Smith is even better than 2022
Last year Geno Smith won the Comeback Player of the Year award after a career-best season. For an encore, Smith is still playing at a top-10 level. However, in some ways he’s even better. Smith has practically eliminated the ball security issues that plagued him in the second half of the 2022 campaign. He’s only thrown one interception in four games and hasn’t fumbled yet. Smith has also shown marked improvement in avoiding pressures and sacks.
10
Charles Cross should be returning
Smith is also getting one of his best pass protectors back this week. Second-year left tackle Charles Cross has been sidelined by turf toe since Week 2 but he’s been a full participant at practice and should be returning to the lineup. Stone Forsythe did solid work in his place, but Cross is still a significant upgrade, especially in pass protection where Cross is still the team’s highest-graded pass blocker this season.
11
Jamal Adams has cleared protocol, off injury report
Last but not least, Seattle’s defense is getting a key player back this week as well. Jamal Adams looked like himself again in his brief action against the Giants but he suffered a concussion after just nine snaps. Good news: Adams has cleared the protocol and is off the team’s injury report, making him a full go for Sunday’s game.
12
More Seahawks Wire stories
