The Seattle Seahawks defense has struggled in recent weeks. On Sunday, they’ll face veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons. Cousins has a wealth of weapons at his disposal, including Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Darnell Mooney. The Falcons are scoring an 11th-best 24.8 points per contest.
Mike Macdonald and Aden Durde will have their defense tested. We’ve identified three bold predictions for Seattle’s defense against Atlanta on Sunday.
Byron Murphy II records a sack
Seahawks rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy II will make his return after missing the previous three contests with injury. Seattle’s defensive line has missed their first-year playmaker. Murphy II spoke with the media on Thursday, claiming he believed the Falcons were going to draft him. They took quarterback Michael Penix Jr. instead, and he said they would regret that decision on Sunday.
Murphy II has recorded half-a-sack this year. The former Texas Longhorn sounds extremely motivated for his return-to-play. We’re backing Murphy II to record the first complete sack of his career.
K’Von Wallace forces a fumble
The Seahawks defense will be without starting safety Rayshawn Jenkins on Sunday after the veteran defender was placed on IR. With Artie Burns also sidelined, and fellow cornerbacks Riq Woolen and Tre Brown both questionable, Macdonald and Durde have been forced to shuffle personnel. Backup safety K’Von Wallace played a season-high 27 snaps last week, and he could see an even larger workload against the Falcons.
Wallace is a versatile defender with a knack for creating turnovers. The Falcons have coughed up the football on a middling seven occasions this season. Wallace could take advantage of his opportunity by forcing a fumble.
Seahawks hold Falcons under 110 net rushing yards
Macdonald’s run defense continues to struggle, allowing a seventh-worst 144.7 rushing yards per game entering Sunday. Gap discipline and wrap-up tackling has been a massive point of emphasis. The Seahawks are challenging themselves to solve one of their largest issues.
The Falcons are averaging a 22nd-ranked 113.7 rushing yards per contest. Macdonald’s defense could improve by holding the Falcons’ rushing attack to under 110 net yards. Durde and Macdonald would consider that an appropriate step in the correct direction.
