Key Matchups to Watch as Seattle Seahawks Host Miami Dolphins in Week 3

Even without Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins have several explosive playmakers who the Seahawks will have to account for, starting with Tyreek Hill and De'Von Achane.

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed (90) wraps up Miami Dolphins running back Lynn Bowden (15) during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. / © Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

With a chance to improve their record to 3-0 for the first time since 2020 and maintain hold of sole possession of first place in the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks will return home to square off with the Tua Tagovailoa-less Miami Dolphins on Sunday in a rare contest between the two franchises.

Becoming the first head coach in team history to win his first two games, Mike Macdonald will face arguably his toughest test yet testing his coaching chops against Mike McDaniel, the architect of a top-two scoring offense in Miami a year ago. Even without Tagovailo, the offensive mastermind still has plenty of weapons to build a game plan around for his backup quarterback Skylar Thompson, and Seattle's defense will have to be ready to roll against a complex scheme with lots of moving parts.

Which matchups will have the greatest impact on who snags a signature win in Week 3? Here are six positional battles to watch as Miami flies out to Seattle for a Sunday afternoon at Lumen Field:

*All stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.

--Seahawks defensive tackles Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, and Byron Murphy II versus Dolphins center Aaron Brewer, guards Robert Jones and Liam Eichenberg: As part of a significant offseason transformation, the Dolphins let center Connor Williams go in free agency coming off an ACL tear and lost starting guard Robert Hunt to the Panthers, creating two openings in the middle of their offensive line. Through two games, Jones and Brewer have done a solid job in the run game - at least based off of Pro Football Focus grades - helping running back De'Von Achane rush for 96 yards in a loss to the Bills last week. Miami has leaned more on gap schemes than previous seasons, playing to the strengths of the personnel inside.

In pass protection, however, both players have already allowed a sack, and the Seahawks will be the most formidable defensive front they have faced so far. Williams has been a game wrecker in his first full season in the Pacific Northwest, producing 11 pressures and seven quarterback hits, ranking third and first among defensive tackles in those categories. Murphy has started to find his groove as well coming off a game with four pressures and his first career sack against the Patriots, while Reed remains a viable interior rushing threat. With a backup quarterback in the lineup, that trio could be preparing to feast in the pocket.

--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba versus Dolphins cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey, Kendall Fuller, and Kader Kohou: This won't be the first rodeo for Metcalf going against Ramsey, as the two tussled regularly in the NFC West from 2019 to 2022 with several epic battles. While Ramsey has won his share of battles and held his adversary in check in a couple of games, Metcalf has scored three touchdowns on 30 targets against him in his career with quarterbacks posting a healthy 96.5 passer rating when targeting him in coverage against the star receiver, so Geno Smith shouldn't be scared to test him on Sunday, especially still working back from a soft tissue injury.

Where this game could be decided, however, lies in the other matchups on the outside. A former first-round pick, Fuller has gotten off to a strong start in Miami, allowing only one catch on four targets with a pass breakup so far, and he allowed only 31 yards on four catches against Seattle playing for Washington last season. But the same cannot be said for Kohou, who has been picked on by opposing quarterbacks in the first two weeks, allowing six catches for 87 yards on eight targets and nearly 15 yards per reception so far while posting a dreadful 30.6 coverage grade on PFF. Coming off a career-high 12 receptions in Foxboro, Smith-Njigba could be a major mismatch for the veteran slot corner with his size and route running savvy. If they pick their spots correctly and can set things up with a run game, against a team that ranks in the bottom six in explosive play percentage allowed per Field Vision, big play opportunities will be there in the passing game for the Seahawks.

--Seahawks cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, and Tre Brown versus Dolphins receivers Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Braxton Berrios: Even without Tagovailoa and Thompson under center, the Seahawks can't disrespect the trio of Hill, Waddle, and Berrios, who would stack up well against any receiving corps in the league. Still one of the most electric playmakers in the NFL, Hill has averaged north of 15 yards per reception this year and can win over the top against the best corners with his blazing speed, creating a major challenge for Woolen, Witherspoon, and Brown. Waddle also has legitimate 4.3 speed and elite field stretching ability as a vertical target while being a strong target after the catch, producing 1,453 such yards in four NFL seasons.

If there's a team that can counter that explosiveness on the outside, the Seahawks have been stifling at taking away explosive pass plays in the first two weeks, albeit against teams lacking receivers of Hill and Waddle's caliber. Neither Witherspoon or Woolen have allowed a completion of more than 10 yards downfield in back-to-back victories, with both players allowing under 7.8 yards per catch and passer ratings below 62.8. Brown has the secondary's lone blemish surrendering a 25-yard catch against the Broncos in Week 1, but he has a pass breakup and has otherwise been very solid on the outside in nickel packages.

--Seahawks center Connor Williams, guards Laken Tomlinson and Anthony Bradford versus Dolphins defensive tackles Calais Campbell and Zach Sieler: Similarly to the interior offensive line, Miami has been trying to move forward in the trenches on defense after losing standout defensive tackle Christian Wilkins in free agency, signing Campbell in mid-June to pair with Sieler, who had a breakout year with 10 sacks in 2023. Those two have given the Dolphins a solid starting tandem, but depth remains a work in progress with Da'Shawn Hand, Benito Jones, and Brandon Pili trying to carve out reserve rotational roles. As a group, Miami's defensive tackles have contributed only five pressures so far, struggling to push the pocket and help out edge defenders Jaelen Phillips and Emmanuel Ogbah.

On the opposite side of the line of scrimmage, the Seahawks have had their share of problems with a new-look interior offensive line featuring two new starters, including Williams, who will be facing his former team in his third start back from an ACL tear. The veteran has been uncharacteristically shaky in pass protection, allowing four pressures and a sack in two games, but the coaching staff believes he's on the verge of rounding back into form. As for Tomlinson and Bradford, the latter has been the better of the two protecting Smith, allowing just two pressures in two games, while Tomlinson has yielded four pressures and a sack in a shaky start. Needing a get right game, the Dolphins have enough questions up front that this could be an advantageous matchup at home to try to get the run game going and keep Smith upright to find his receivers.

--Seahawks linebackers Tyrel Dodson and Tyrice Knight versus Dolphins running backs De'Von Achane and Jaylen Wright: While Williams will get a chance to face his former team, the same likely can't be said for Jerome Baker, who received a doubtful designation on Seattle's final injury report with a hamstring strain. In his expected absence, Knight will receive his first career start after an encouraging, albeit far from perfect, performance in Foxboro last week. The fourth-round pick did have five tackles netting two or fewer yards against New England, but he also got baited on a 35-yard screen and allowed four receptions on five targets in coverage. Dodson only gave up on catch for 10 yards, but got caught up on blocks several times and missed a pair of tackles in an uneven outing.

Last year, the Dolphins orchestrated a top-six rushing attack to go with their potent passing game, and while the Seahawks won't have to deal with an injured Raheem Mostert, Achane and Wright could be major concerns not only as runners, but as pass catchers. Achane averaged nearly eight yards per carry last year and has home run-hitting ability in the run game, but what makes him especially dangerous is his penchant for manufacturing yardage after the catch. Per PFF, he leads all backs with 160 yards after the catch and six missed tackles forced through two weeks. Coach Mike McDaniel will try to get him matched up with Dodson and Knight as much as possible, while Wright has similar juice with 4.3 speed to create problems in Mostert's place as well.

--Seahawks running backs Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh versus Dolphins linebackers Jordyn Brooks and David Long: Returning to the Pacific Northwest for the first time since leaving in free agency to sign with the Dolphins, Brooks likely won't have to worry about trying to wrangle Ken Walker III, as the explosive back received a doubtful designation with an oblique injury. The former first-round pick has been rock solid early for his new team, tallying 10 tackles and a pass breakup while earning a team-best 81.3 overall grade from PFF. Next to him, however, Long has struggled with missed tackles defending the run and been exploited in coverage, surrendering six catches for 64 yards and a touchdown, creating a potential area for Ryan Grubb to target on Sunday.

Even without Walker, Charbonnet has been a steady contributor catching the football and with better fortune up front in the run blocking department than last week, his downhill, thumping style could be troublesome for a smaller linebacking corps. But after only playing one snap last week, if the Seahawks paid close attention to the Bills' success against the Dolphins in Week 2, they should give McIntosh a more extensive run, as his slashing style is similar to former Georgia teammate James Cook, who ran wild against Miami on Thursday Night Football. Mixing and matching the two backs in Walker's absence would make the most sense, making the Dolphins have to account for two different runners stylistically who each can handle passing down duties as well.