The Seattle Seahawks are taking on the Baltimore Ravens in what should be an electric Week 7 matchup at CenturyLink Field on Sunday.
Thomas’ return to Seattle, Jarran Reed’s return to the field and Russell Wilson’s MVP pace are just a handful of exciting storylines for fans to keep a close eye on during Sunday’s matchup of the 5-1 Seahawks and the 4-2 Ravens, led by exciting quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Seattle’s tight end woes following Will Dissly’s injury, their injuries up front on the offensive line and of course Baltimore’s recent acquisition of former University of Washington cornerback Marcus Peters are all intriguing pieces of this game as well, making it potentially the most interesting game of the season – at least so far.
Here are three primary storylines for fans to keep an eye on in Sunday’s contest, while the Seahawks look to move to 6-1 on the season.
Will Earl Thomas pick off Russell Wilson?
The main storyline of the week, without a doubt, is the return of Earl Thomas to CenturyLink Field.
Thomas was the founding member of the Legion of Boom, and went on to have a storied, Hall of Fame caliber career with the Seahawks before departing on less-than-stellar terms last season.
He’s back and playing well this season, and will provide one of the best deep challenges of the season for Russell Wilson, who is playing at an MVP caliber pace this year.
Wilson has yet to throw an interception on the season, setting a franchise record in the process, but Thomas’ familiarity with Wilson and the Seahawks, not to mention his incredible instincts and sideline speed, could make this streak a tricky one to uphold in Week 7.
Can the defensive line generate pressure?
If this looks familiar, it’s because it has been one of the primary storylines of the entire 2019 season for the Seahawks. Despite a 5-1 record and generally decent defensive numbers, Seattle has really struggled to generate an effective pass rush all season long.
The offseason acquisitions of Ziggy Ansah, Jadeveon Clowney and L.J. Collier have not quite gone according to plan. Clowney has looked much better as of late, but Ansah and Collier are struggling to find their niche in this Seattle defense.
However, things could change this week with the return of defensive tackle Jarran Reed, who just came off his six game suspension. Reed recorded 10.5 sacks as an interior defensive lineman last year, and while he won’t be expected to immediately bring that kind of production, he will command a lot of attention from the offensive line, which should in turn free up the pass rushers off the edge.
Lamar Jackson is no easy quarterback to take down, so getting an effective rush this game might be tricky, but it is crucial for the Seahawks if they want to find themselves with a 6-1 record heading into Week 8.
Will the Seahawks use Branden Jackson at tight end?
A report surfaced on Sunday morning that the Seahawks are firmly in the market for a new tight end, not a huge surprise considering the loss of starter Will Dissly to season-ending surgery for the second year in a row.
The Seahawks are expected to employ Luke Willson and Jacob Hollister for most of their tight end snaps, but with tackle George Fant expected to start at left tackle if Duane Brown is inactive, the team won’t have their usual six linemen lineup.
The team tried Joey Hunt in that role last week, but it wasn’t very successful and leaves them susceptible to more injury up front, an area where depth is an issue.
However, one way the Seahawks could look to solve this issue is to use one of their defensive ends – Branden Jackson in particular – as an extra blocker up front.
It’s unclear how seriously the Seahawks are considering using Jackson in that role against Baltimore, but it does highlight the team’s desire to have added blocking up front – and it certainly indicates the team could be in the market for more help in that area as soon as this week.
