5 Storylines to Watch in Seahawks' Week 8 Game vs. Bills

After snapping a three-game skid, the Seattle Seahawks are looking for their second straight win versus the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Connor Benintendi | 3 Hours Ago

Nov 8, 2020; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed (90) applies pressure to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) in the third quarter at Bills Stadium. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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Seattle Seahawks

Coming off their most dominant win of the season — at least on the scoreboard — the Seattle Seahawks are back home for a Week 8 bout with the Buffalo Bills.

The Seahawks (4-3) snapped a three-game skid with their 20-point win over the Atlanta Falcons, while the Bills (5-2) have won two in a row. Buffalo defeated the Tennessee Titans 34-10 in Week 7.

There’s reason for optimism following Seattle’s most recent victory. The improvement stemmed from an improved defensive performance that included a trio of takeaways and a more balanced offensive approach that helped the Seahawks score north of 30 points for the first time all season. Now, they have to keep it rolling.

Seattle has made two trades in as many weeks, acquiring defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris from the Jacksonville Jaguars and linebacker Ernest Jones IV from the Titans. Jones now gets to play the Bills in back-to-back weeks but as a member of a different team.

The Seahawks and Bills kick off at 1:05 p.m. PT on Sunday. Here are five storylines to watch heading into Seattle’s Week 8 game against Buffalo.

1. How limited is Seattle's offense if DK Metcalf is out?

This may be a moot point by kickoff, but it’s worth noting considering DK Metcalf — Seattle’s leading receiver — is listed as doubtful heading into Sunday’s game. If he can’t go due to his MCL sprain, the Seahawks will rely heavily on Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to power their passing offense. That duo is still a premium option, but Metcalf would be a big loss.

Metcalf is fourth in the NFL with 568 receiving yards on 35 catches. Lockett is 22nd in the league (30 receptions, 384 yards) and Smith-Njigba is 39th (37 catches, 319 yards). Accounting for all three, plus tight end Noah Fant, is what has made Seattle’s pass offense so difficult to defend this season.

Remove one, and the rest of the Seahawks' receivers become easier to cover. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb may have to rely on the run game even more — an area the Seahawks began to get better in last week.

2. Is Ernest Jones IV an immediate difference maker?

The Seahawks, and probably head coach Mike Macdonald in particular, weren’t satisfied with their linebacker play. So they traded for a potential future All-Pro in Ernest Jones IV.

Macdonald talks about “feeling” players on the field. Jones’ impact versus the Bills should be felt immediately, considering the caliber of player he is. The run defense should be better, and Macdonald has more options with linebacker blitzes. It’s hard for any player to fill in mid-season with a new team on a half-week of practice, but Jones said there’s familiarity from Dennard Wilson’s defense in Tennessee. Wilson was the defensive backs coach in Baltimore last season.

“[Jones] does a lot of things really well,” Macdonald said on Wednesday. “Talk about making tackles, staying square at the point of attack, he’s physical. I think he plays really hard. Also a good blitzer as well off the ball. Coverage skills I think are pretty dang good as well. Overall a really good football player.”

3. Can the Seahawks' defense limit the Buffalo offense?

Buffalo is fifth in the league in points per game (28.4) and has quarterback Josh Allen on their side. Running back James Cook is no slouch, and the receiving trio of Keon Coleman, Amari Cooper and Khalil Shakir is a rising wideout room.

It’s a balanced offense that is middle of the pack in both rushing and passing yards. But that balance is dangerous and keeps the defense guessing. Luckily for the Seahawks, they played a similarly balanced unit last week in the Atlanta Falcons. If Seattle can start fast and get Buffalo into straight dropback scenarios, that will give them an advantage.

4. Josh Allen is a threat.

Oct 20, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws a pass in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Highmark Stadium. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

While his weapons are good, Allen is the main threat in the Bills’ offense. His dynamic play is what fuels Buffalo, and he’s protecting the football this season better than he has in his entire career. Allen is the only quarterback in the league this season with at least 50 pass attempts and no interceptions, and he’s also sixth in the NFL in passing touchdowns (12).

He’s been more conservative with his rushing this season (on pace for 434 rushing yards), but that potentially makes that element of his game even more dangerous. Allen is going to pick his spots, and he’ll gash defenses when he does.

If Allen gets cooking, Seattle’s defense could be in for a long game. If Metcalf can’t play, the offense may struggle to put up enough points to keep Buffalo at arm’s length.

5. Has Seattle’s defense recovered from the slump?

Seattle allowed 14.3 points per game over its first three games and had two takeaways. Then, as injuries piled up, the Seahawks surrendered an average of 35.6 points during their three-game losing streak from Weeks 4–6 and generated just one turnover.

The Falcons scored just 14 points against Seattle in Week 7, and the Seahawks defense forced three fourth-quarter turnovers to seal the game. The back-end of the defense was still banged up, but the defensive line depth returned and the pass rush was relentless. That’s the formula the Seahawks need to continue to strive for.

Seattle should be even healthier versus the Bills on defense. This week will be a good measuring stick of where this defense is, and whether the addition of Jones makes it even better.