Seahawks vs. Falcons Week 1 Predictions
After months of uncertainty about whether or not football would even be played this year, the Seahawks will kick off the 2020 NFL season traveling to Atlanta to face the Falcons on Sunday.
As two familiar foes with familiar coaches square off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which team will exit with a season-opening victory? Here's our staff's picks for Week 1.
Corbin Smith
Seahawks 34, Falcons 24
Both of these teams have been notorious slow starters, with the Seahawks and Falcons each going 2-3 in season openers over the past five seasons. This year will be even trickier to project since there wasn't a preseason. But Seattle looks to be the more complete team on both sides of the football, particularly on offense with an MVP front-runner in Russell Wilson leading the charge and numerous weapons around him. Look for this to be a tight contest going into halftime before the 'Hawks create a bit of separation in the final two quarters thanks in part to a Quandre Diggs interception.
Nick Lee
Seahawks 27, Falcons 20
The Seahawks find a rhythm in the pass game early with some new weapons for Russell Wilson, including a player the Falcons know well in Greg Olsen. Some surprise players on defense provide a much needed pass rush to ratchet up the pressure on Matt Ryan and create a few timely stops. Flying all over the field and talking plenty of trash, Jamal Adams makes his presence felt and immediately proves himself worthy of two first-round draft picks, intercepting and sacking Ryan in his Seattle debut.
Ty Gonzalez
Falcons 26, Seahawks 20
On paper, the Seahawks should absolutely win this game. They have a more talented roster than Atlanta and, most importantly, the far better quarterback in Russell Wilson, which isn't a slight to Matt Ryan. The only thing standing in Seattle's way is the potential of a signature slow start on offense against an Atlanta team that has improved on both sides of the ball this offseason, which feels all the more likely given the 10 AM PST start time and overall weirdness in the buildup to this year's season.
Colby Patnode
Seahawks 28, Falcons 24
This is one heck of a challenge for a revamped secondary, especially considering a starter hasn't been named at right cornerback. But run defense will be the key in this one. The Seahawks should be able to at least contain a rapidly deteriorating Todd Gurley, who has a history of hurting them on the ground and as a receiver, and Seattle's offense led by Russell Wilson and Chris Carson will do just enough to grind out a solid but uneasy four-point victory.
Aryanna Prasad
Seahawks 24, Falcons 21
I think that Seattle is going to win this one, but I do expect it to be a close, down to the wire affair. Russell Wilson and the offense are going to do quite well, but because it’s the first game of the season, I’m expecting the score to be a little lower than it normally would be due to some sloppy play on both sides. The Seahawks will do just enough to overcome a bunch of penalties and a couple of turnovers.
