Seahawks passing game will explode against the Lions
The Seahawks begin a tough run today in Detroit. While the focus has been on the run game, conditions are perfect for an explosion of Seattle’s air game.
Just to be clear, I mean the good kind of explosion with lots of big plays. Not the bad kind with Russell Wilson getting sacked five or six times. I’m pretty confident those bad days are over for the Seahawks. There are plenty of reasons that the Lions are the perfect opponent to launch Seattle’s air game. Let’s go!
First up is the return to form of Doug Baldwin. Angry Doug has been limited all season with a knee injury, and now he’s got a bad elbow. Baldwin came to life in London against the Raiders, though. He hauled in six catches for 91 yards. He’s had the bye week to further his rehabs, so I expect Baldwin will be healthier than he has all year.
The second reason to expect big things through the air for Seattle is the emergence of second year receiver David Moore. Moore looked terrific in the preseason, but then averaged just under 20 snaps a game for the first three weeks of real football. He was targeted just once in those games. He seemed to be the forgotten man as both Brandon Marshall and Jaron Brown got more opportunities on the field.
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Things turned around for Moore in Arizona, though. He got the start, and caught both his targets. Since then he’s been an excellent weapon for the Seahawks. Including his breakout game against the Cardinals, Moore has seven catches on nine targets for 124 yards. More importantly, he has three touchdown catches, and has made the kind of spectacular catches that can fire up a team and demoralize the opposition.
The third reason the Seahawks will take off through the air is the long-delayed arrival of tight end Ed Dickson. Dickson isn’t exactly Jimmy Graham, but that’s the point. While he can catch the ball, what he’s renowned for is his blocking. As in, the best pass blocking tight end in the league. And he can catch a little. Just ask the Lions about what he did to them last year – 175 yards on five catches. No, he won’t do that again, but it does lead to the next reason the Seahawks can dominate through the air.
The Lions just aren’t very good against the pass. They rank really well in passing yards allowed, but that’s largely because they’ve been so easy to run against. Detroit is giving up 5.3 yards per carry so far; that’s bad. The Lions secondary has allowed 12 touchdown passes, which ranks them 22nd in the league. They’ve only picked off two passes, placing them 28th in the NFL. That is not a formula for success versus an air attack.
The biggest reason I expect the Seahawks to succeed through the air is Russell Wilson. Number 3 hasn’t thrown for over 300 yards yet this season, as hard as that is to believe. I don’t think he’ll break that number today, either. He won’t have to throw very often, as the Seahawks will be able to pound the ball with Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny. But I do expect Wilson to throw three scores, just as he has the past two games. He’s been a different player since Seattle remembered to run the ball, and I expect him to continue his excellent play today in Detroit.