5 Storylines to Watch in Seahawks' Week 7 Game vs. Atlanta Falcons

With a 10-day break after a three-game losing streak, the Seattle Seahawks are searching for any way to get back in the win column versus the Atlanta Falcons.

Sep 25, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) jumps over a tackle attempt by Atlanta Falcons cornerback Casey Hayward (29) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

After three straight losses and a much-needed 10-day break, the Seattle Seahawks need a confidence booster — badly.

What was a promising 3-0 start for Seattle has now devolved into a team searching for answers with a struggling run game on offense and a litany of injuries on defense that has seen its effectiveness defending the run and pass be hampered significantly.

The Seahawks (3-3) now travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face the Atlanta Falcons (4-2), who are on the opposite end of a three-game streak. The Falcons have won three in a row against the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers.

Seattle and Atlanta kick off at 10 a.m. PT on Sunday. Here are five storylines to watch heading into the Seahawks’ Week 7 game against the Falcons.

1. How do Seahawks rookies fare in their first career starts?

Two rookies will make their first career starts on Sunday: Fifth-round cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett and sixth-round right tackle Michael Jerrell. Pritchett is filling in for Riq Woolen and Tre Brown and will start opposite former No. 5 overall pick Devon Witherspoon. Jerrell is effectively Seattle’s fourth-string right tackle with Stone Forsythe ruled out (hand).

The cornerback situation is dire for the Seahawks. Woolen, Brown and Artie Burns are all out, with the latter landing on injured reserve. As a result, in addition to Pritchett stepping into the starting lineup, practice squad corners Faion Hicks and Josh Jobe will be elevated for the game, per head coach Mike Macdonald. Pritchett played 20 snaps in Seattle’s Week 6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, his most of the season, and recorded one tackle and no receptions allowed on two targets — including a key third down pass breakup late in the game.

Jerrell, however, has yet to see the field at all in his rookie season. At 6-5, 294 pounds, Jerrell is a prototype athlete at the tackle spot but spent his entire college career at the Division II level. He did log 63 snaps in the preseason. Regardless, both rookies will face tough tasks in their first starts, but each has an opportunity to prove themselves moving forward.

2. Does Atlanta’s league-worst pass rush still affect Seattle?

Entering Week 7, the Falcons have the league’s lowest pressure-to-sack percentage at just 7.04 percent, per Pro Football Focus. Atlanta has just five sacks on the season, and its defense is 30th in the league in pressures (71). That bodes well for Seattle, which has one of the league’s worst offensive lines in pass protection.

The Seahawks have allowed 106 pressures of Geno Smith this season. Smith has dealt with pressure on approximately 38 percent of his 278 dropbacks this season. Even then, Smith has the 10th-lowest time to throw in the league at 2.67 seconds, per PFF.

Forsythe has been the primary malefactor along the Seahawks’ offensive line, giving up 35 pressures in six games — 16 more than any other tackle in the NFL. Forsythe will now sit due to injury, and Jerrell will fill in. Jerrell doesn’t have a high bar to meet, so he really just needs to be serviceable against a Falcons pass rush that lacks juice. If Seattle still can’t limit pressure against Atlanta, the unit’s poor performance this season will be put on full display.

3. Can the Seahawks’ run game get going?

Though Seattle’s offensive line isn’t among the best run-blocking teams in the NFL, the Seahawks’ rushing attack has failed more because of a lack of trying than efficiency. The run game may be even more limited if running back Kenneth Walker III can't play.

Over the team’s three-game losing streak, Seattle running backs Zach Charbonnet and Walker have carried the ball 40 times for 177 yards. That averages out to 13 rushing attempts and just 59 yards per game. But it’s also a 4.43 yards per carry average — not indicative of a poor rushing attack.

Regardless of whether Walker does play, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb needs to stay committed to the run game even if it starts slow. Smith cannot continue to attempt to carry the offense with his right arm and the receivers’ hands. It makes the offense far too one-dimensional to have consistent success. With one of the best running back duos in the league, this team has to find its balance.

Oct 10, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) carries the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

4. Seattle must limit Atlanta’s offensive weapons.

Atlanta’s offense is no joke. The Falcons are seventh in total yards — one spot behind the Seahawks — and fifth in passing yards. Their 24.8 points per game ranks 11th in the league as well.

Running back Bijan Robinson is 10th in the league in scrimmage yards with 541 and wide receivers Drake London (428 receiving yards; eighth in NFL) and Darnell Mooney (368 yards; 16th) are one of the top wideout duos so far this season.

Another game with hefty defensive injuries doesn’t make things any easier for Seattle. Without two of their top three cornerbacks, limiting Atlanta’s pass-catchers becomes an even taller task. But perhaps the biggest concern should be Robinson and Tyler Allgeier against Seattle’s run defense, which has allowed the sixth-most rushing yards in the league.

The Seahawks have to hope the return of Byron Murphy II and their recent trade acquisition, Roy Robertson-Harris, can make enough of a difference to limit the Falcons on the ground.

5. Will the losing streak end?

It’s becoming the most tired subject of the season: When will Seattle win another game after beginning 3-0? There’s a massive difference in playoff odds between sitting at 4-3 and 3-4 overall. The Seahawks have already relinquished their first-place hold on the NFC West and are just one game ahead of the Arizona Cardinals in the division standings.

If Seattle loses to Atlanta and the Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night, the Seahawks will slide to third place in the division with Arizona’s 2-0 NFC West record.

Metcalf said on Wednesday Macdonald led a “much-needed team meeting” about where the team is at after losing three in a row. If that kind of wake-up call doesn’t help the team get back on track, it may not be anything that can be fixed this season.

“[Macdonald] just told us the truth, it’s not anything the other teams are doing, we’re just hurting ourselves,” Metcalf said. “Penalties, giving the ball away, not getting the ball on defense. He just basically told us the truth of what we need to clean up moving forward. We all took it the right way, and we’re ready to finish the season.”

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