Scheming the Seattle-Washington Game

This Seahawks-Commanders game figures to be a bare-knuckle bout interesting only to football is a game of inches type fans. I'm one of those type guys. 

It's Sumo Wrestling with a medicine ball. Boring. Watching paint dry. Taking bets on which needs a sports bra.

I really would like to see the Commanders make a run at the Playoffs and if they make the Playoffs make a run at the Super Bowl. I don't like all this Ron Rivera is gone talk. I mean, if Rivera and Del Rio are going, I'd like to see them go out as close to on-top as possible. Like Dick Vermeil did in St. Louis when he also had a crackerjack Offensive Coordinator.

Because if any of that happens, Sam Howell is almost certainly having a great second half of the season. Sam playing great is a good omen for the future heading into full Josh Harris mode.

Look at the defenses he will have faced. Philadelphia, New England, Dallas, Seattle, San Francisco. That's the best the League has to offer. And to get to the playoffs, Sam will have had to beat a few of them.

I don't know what his chances are against Seattle. Noisy place to play. Historically good defense, especially against the pass. Eric Bieniemy's last encounter with Pete Carroll and the Hawks was last year in K.C., a 24-10 Chiefs Win. It wasn't the typical Chiefs explosion on offense. Seattle had time of possession in their favor. 

That was the way to beat the Chiefs. Dominate time of possession and run the football. Limit Mahomes' touches. The Hawks did that but still lost. Might Pete Carroll attempt the same against Eric Bieniemy again? Keep Sam off the field? Keep the no-name Washington defense on the field? Or is it once bitten, twice shy?

The Hawks may try to pass more given Washington's recent loss of semi-superstars Chase Young and Montez Sweat. Geno Smith no doubt is looking to match D.K. Metcalf up against Emmanuel Forbes. Metcalf has a 233 pound advantage. If Washington does not generate pressure, Geno should have time to wait for Metcalf to finish bullying Forbes, get open, and make the play.

Just kidding. Forbes should busy himself with Tyler Lockett. Lockett only outweighs him by 182 pounds. Which gives Forbes the advantage. It is Lockett's first game against lighter-than-air aircraft.

Ordinarily I'd recommend running against the Hawks. There are two problems with that. They were massacred on the ground against the Ravens. That probably means they were overtrained on run fits this past week. Number Two, EB doesn't run the ball that much. It would be good. It would help take that decibel level down a bit in that raucous Seahawk stadium. But I would not expect the Commanders to duplicate the Ravens numbers on the ground this week.

The best scenario for Washington is to continue to excel at ball-circulation and sprinkle in enough running game to keep the defense honest. On defense, they will have to stop the run. If the Hawks get that going, the play action to Metcalf would just be devastating. It is a good breakout game opportunity for Washington's new pass rushers.

And I'd say rush Jon Allen at end on occasion.

I'd say the key to a win for the Hawks is run the ball, control the clock, try to regress Sam in the sack department and force three and outs. Keep the crowd in the game with fantastical celebrations.

The Commanders should continue the progress they made toward integrating the running game from last week. They need to stop Walker. They need tight coverage in the secondary and some coverage sacks at least from the defense. A few unmitigated blow up sacks by the D-Line would help. 

The Seahawks really have a lot of their destiny in their own hands. They soon play the Rams and two Niner games and could lock up their division if they sweep those games. They wouldn't have to beat Washington. 

The Marquee items for this game are: Can Sam Howell have a third consecutive good game? Can the Defense rush the passer? Can E.B. tolerate adding a run ingredient to his stew? 

And does Joey Slye kick a 62-yarder?