The Seattle Seahawks are looking to improve upon their 3-1 record after a week of rest for bye week. The Seahawks are out for blood once again as they take on the Atlanta Falcons in Seattle at Centurylink Field for week six of the 2016 season. This will mark the fifteenth regular-season match up between the two franchises. The Seahawks lead 9-5 over the Falcons but both teams are currently in the number one spot amongst their divisions and tend to keep it that way. With a predicted heated game, here are the Seattle Seahawks week six keys to victory:
Seattle Seahawks Week Six Keys to Victory
Cutting Off Matt Ryan and Julio Jones
In week four, the Atlanta Falcons took on the Carolina Panthers at home in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ninth year quarterback Matt Ryan threw for over 500 yards and four touchdowns in the game. Wide receiver Julio Jones also had a big game with 300 receiving yards and one touchdown. The two broke a franchise record for the first quarterback/receiver duo to break 500 passing yards and 300 receiving yards in franchise history.
With the Falcons at the number one spot in the NFC South, the Seahawks stellar defense needs to come out with a stop and shut down their passing game.
Russell Wilson’s Health
It’s only the sixth week of 2016 and Russell Wilson has already suffered two scary injuries, but thankfully has come out with just some bruising. Wilson suffered a high ankle sprain in week one against the Miami Dolphins and then a MCL sprain in week three versus the San Francisco 49ers. Hopefully he rested up nice during bye week and will be prepared to take on Atlanta.
Offensive Line
Of course one way to ensure your quarterback’s safety is the offensive line and the Seahawks have been short to offer it up on that end. For years they have been struggling with their offensive line but finally have started to attempt some changes. Although improvement has started to show, a significant difference has yet to been seen. This isn’t only important for the quarterback but the running back position as well.
The Graham is Back
Jimmy Graham’s return after a season-ending injury last season has been off to a hot start. Graham had only 48 receptions for 605 yards and two touchdowns last season despite playing only 12 of the 16 games. Already within the first four games in 2016, he has 16 receptions, 266 yards and one touchdown. This may finally be the year Graham returns to his former self that he was with the New Orleans Saints before being traded to Seattle prior to the 2015 season.
Conclusion
The Seahawks are easily a top five team in the league, but they haven’t had the chance to successfully follow-up their Super Bowl XLVIII win. This game against Atlanta is a must win if they want to stay in the number one spot in the NFC West and to prove that the bye week wasn’t kryptonite to their game.
