Preview: Seattle Seahawks versus Detroit Lions
The Seattle Seahawks play their first (and hopefully not last) playoff game of the 2016 season on Saturday against the Detroit Lions at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. The Seahawks have been to the Super Bowl two of the last three seasons but face a tough road (maybe literally if home teams keep winning) back to the championship game this year. What will the matchup versus the Lions look like?
Key Issues
The Real Season Starts Now
For all the (mostly negative) strange and unusual events that have happened this year in the regular season for and to the team, the Seahawks still have a core of players who know what winning a Super Bowl – and being a part of two – feels like. This really cannot be overstated. The players who have loads of playoff experience have not only the knowledge of how to win in the playoffs but are also really good: Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Michael Bennett, Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, along with several others. Therein lies the hope for all Seahawks fans in this upcoming playoff.
There will be no Earl Thomas and no Tyler Lockett. One could put forth the timid numbers the Seahawks defense has produced without Thomas on the field, which one should do. Numbers such as passer rating with Thomas on the field in 2016: 77.8, and without: 99.5. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is a good quarterback, so Seattle will need to be better against Detroit in order to win on Saturday.
Lockett was just emerging as the second best wide receiver option for Wilson before his injury. Lockett supplied speed and good hands. Paul Richardson supplies speed as well, but does not catch the ball in the same way as Lockett and certainly does not run routes with the same crispness. Lockett also will be missed, and maybe more substantially, on special teams. While Seattle did sign once-great returner Devin Hester this week to help fill the chasm left by Lockett, Hester is also 34 years old and has diminished skills.
Even with the absences of Thomas and Lockett, the Seahawks still have a chance at another Super Bowl. The team does not get beat handily almost ever, so Seattle should be expected to be in games late. Also, the team understands that a playoff game lasts 60 minutes and not 15 or 30. Too many times have the Seahawks won a game when on the losing side with little time left. Seattle will never fold.
Plus, the Lions have not won a road playoff game since 1957 (which must mean a lot of these current Lions players are really old). And Detroit’s quarterback Matthew Stafford has an injured finger. There is hope, Seattle…there is hope.
AROUND COVER32
Power Rankings: Playoff addition
QB Rankings:: Who’s riding highest into the playoffs?
Winners and Losers:: Who came out on top to open up 2017?
Stats
When one looks at the Lions statistics one might wonder, “How did Detroit win enough games to make the playoffs?” And that would be a fair question. Detroit ranks 18th in the National Football League in overall defense and 21st in overall offense. Detroit ranks 27th in rushing yards per attempt, 28th in rushing big plays, last in runs being stuffed at the line and first in fumbles while running the ball. That rushing bit is really really awful. Still, this team was 9-4 before the last three games.
The worst Seattle statistics, unfortunately, also include running the ball. For as bad as the Lions are, the Seahawks – a team built in recent seasons on running the ball – are not much better. Unfortunately, and maybe not literally, this levels the playing field. Sure, the Lions cannot run the ball well but then Thomas of the Seahawks is injured. The Seahawks cannot run the ball effectively either, but Lockett is hurt and the passing game has been inconsistent.
Seattle throwing the ball, however, may be the wisest option. The Lions are awful against the pass and especially on third down efficiency. Detroit is last in the N.F.L. in allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete passes at 73.5 percent. Seriously. Three-quarters of the passes quarterbacks throw against the Lions are completed. The Lions also rank 30th in sack percentage defensively. Plus, if the Seahawks get to third down, Seattle has a real chance to get a first down. The Lions are next-to-last in the league in third down effectiveness and allow opponents to pick up a first down 45.5 percent of the time.
The Seahawks usually attempt to dictate play to the other team. In this particular case, one could reasonably ask offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to please, please, please…throw the ball and then throw the ball some more. Statistically speaking, there is no reason to force the run against Detroit. The running attack is not working for Seattle anyway, so use Wilson and Baldwin and Jimmy Graham and Rawls and everyone else possible. If the pass does not work against Detroit, no one should blame you, Coach Bevell, for at least throwing the ball as much as possible. If Wilson throws 45 times against Detroit and that does not translate to a win, then the blame should lie with the execution of the plays by the players instead of the game plan itself.
Prediction
On paper (or a website page) and only because the Lions may be the worst team in the N.F.L. playoffs overall, the Seahawks have a favorable matchup on Saturday. The Lions have not won a playoff game on the road in a million years. The Seahawks are usually great at home. The Seahawks should win.
But since we at Cover32 seem to jinx Seattle when we pick the Seahawks to win, we will not do so…
Seahawks 5 Lions 528 (Detroit will have 400 at the half)
The post Preview: Seattle Seahawks versus Detroit Lions appeared first on Cover32.
