We are hours away from the Seattle Seahawks taking on the Tennessee Titans in a game that looks like a mismatch on paper. I’m sure Seahawks fans are hoping the game is as lopsided in Seattle’s favor as predicted,
especially given Seattle’s three blowout wins earlier in the season. They’re clearly capable of emphatic wins either on the road or at home, and I’m sure we’ll hear plenty of “SEA-HAWKS” chants in Nashville on Sunday.
It’s time for some game predictions! Before we get into this week’s matchup, let’s review how last week went!
Bold prediction: Kenneth Walker scores a touchdown
Let’s gooooooooo!!!
Seahawks offense: Jaxon Smith-Njigba clears 100 yards again
It happened late, but it happened! Nine catches for 105 yards for JSN.
Seahawks defense: Ernest Jones makes a big play against his old team
Disappointingly, that didn’t happen. Jones almost recovered Puka Nacua’s fumble, so I was close. Otherwise, Jones was not really at his best and I suspect that knee injury is the main culprit.
Rams prediction: Puka Nacua also goes for over 100 yards
Denied! He led the Rams with 75 receiving yards, but the math is the math.
Game prediction: Rams win Round 1
Darn it. Correct.
Bold prediction: No turnovers for either team!
The Seahawks lead the NFL with 20 turnovers, of which 14 have been attributed to quarterback Sam Darnold. Sam (and I’m sure the rest of the team) knows this must be cleaned up, and I’d like to think they’re capable of going a week without giving the ball away. The first-team offense was clean versus the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4, with the one “turnover” coming on a debatable Coby Bryant fumble on an interception. They were also turnover-free against the New Orleans Saints until George Holani fumbled in garbage time. Their one turnover-free game came on the road versus another AFC South team in the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Tennessee is also very turnover prone, with rookie quarterback Cam Ward suffering six interceptions and too many lost fumbles to count. And yet, they only had one giveaway against the vaunted Houston Texans defense, and were clean in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Clearly the Titans can play a relatively clean game while generating almost nothing on offense.
So there’s your bold pick: Seattle finally avoids the turnover bug but also can’t create turnovers on the other side.
Seahawks offense prediction: Rashid Shaheed gets his first touchdown
Nothing is stopping me from recycling failed predictions. I said Shaheed would score in his Seahawks debut and he wasn’t even close against the Cardinals. He did have a TD opportunity versus the Rams, only for Sam Darnold to underthrow him and get swatted away by Emmanuel Forbes Jr.
The Titans are one of the worst in the league at allowing 15+ yard pass plays, which is something Shaheed excels at. Time to get No. 22 to the end zone. However, I will consider this a correct prediction if he also scores on a kick or punt return on special teams.
Seahawks defense prediction: A sack party
Cam Ward has been sacked on about 11 percent of his dropbacks, which is astronomically high. He only has 21 rush attempts on the season, so it’s not like he’s been some prolific rusher to somewhat offset the sack count. Seattle didn’t sack Matthew Stafford last week, but certainly not without considerable effort. Ward is a big play hunter and he’s a rookie who’s taking his lumps behind a horrible offensive line.
The most sacks on Ward this season is six, which happened against the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans. I think the Seahawks one-up and finish with lucky number seven. Seattle really doesn’t have to do a whole lot complicated with its defense to bring Ward down.
Titans prediction: Jeffery Simmons gets a sack
He’s good. Really good. Sam Darnold’s sack avoidance has been elite this year, but Simmons is capable of getting after anyone. Big Jeff will get to Darnold, although I suspect it’ll be another low day for sacks and pressures for Sam.
Game prediction: Seahawks win comfortably
“Any given Sunday” is the only reason I can see the Titans hanging around. They’re dead last in points scored and third-to-last in points allowed. The Seahawks are top 10 in both categories. Short of Seattle having one too many turnovers gift Tennessee terrific field position, I don’t see how the Seahawks lose this.
I’ll give the Titans some “playing for pride” points through Jeffery Simmons wrecking Seattle’s interior offensive line, and maybe Cam Ward makes a splash play or two that justify his number one overall pick status. Apart from that, I think the Seahawks don’t mess around and win this one 34-13, and it might not even be as close as that scoreline indicates.
Those are my predictions and I’m sticking with them! Share yours in the comments below!
