Expect the Seahawks to dominate the Bengals on both sides of the ball
The Seahawks open the season at home as big favorites versus the Bengals. They’ll exceed expectations today and dominate on both sides of the ball.
All the waiting is over. The Seahawks finally take the field at home today, ready to answer all the questions of the offseason. Will the new pass rushers get to the quarterback? Will the young receiving corps make up for the loss of Doug Baldwin? Biggest of all, can the Hawks show they’re good enough to challenge for the division title and more?
The pass rush should be light years beyond what we saw all summer. Neither of Seattle’s two biggest acquisitions of the offseason, Ezekiel Ansah and Jadeveon Clowney, took a single snap with the Hawks defense in preseason games. Jarran Reed will miss the first of six games, but the Seahawks should be able to generate all the pressure they need.
The Bengals offensive line is already struggling with injuries, as noted by Stripe Hype co-expert Steve Rivera. Dalton works well against the blitz, but Seattle will be able to bring pressure with their front four today. While neither of the Hawks newest stars got much time to work together, I still expect Seattle to sack Andy Dalton four times and keep him under pressure all day long.
One of the Bengals biggest weapons is Joe Mixon. There’s no shortage of predictions that Mixon will be one of the league’s best running backs. He’s a stud, no doubt about it. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry and hauled in 43 catches. But I like the Seahawks interior line’s ability to shut down the run. Don’t forget that Clowney is even better against the run than he is against the pass. If Mixon gets past them, Bobby Wagner will be on him. Mixon will be a strong test right out of the gate, but I think they’ll keep him bottled up today.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks offense will overwhelm the Bengals
On offense, the Seahawks will depend on the formula that got them into the playoffs last year. Expect heavy doses of Chris Carson to wear down the Bengals. There’s a reason Lee Vowell wrote that Carson will dominate in the NFL this year – because he’s a beast. Carson will go off for over 100 yards today with ease. Add dashes – literally – of Rashaad Penny and C.J. Prosise, and Cincinnatti’s porous run defense will look more like a sieve.
Russell Wilson used play-action more than ever this summer, and the results have been devastating to opposing defenses. Factor in that the Bengals gave up more passing yards than any other team in the league last year, and DangeRuss should be able to light up their secondary. We all know Tyler Lockett will lead the way, right? He had one of the league’s best-ever seasons, after all. He’ll do his share of damage, to be sure.
But I see today as the debut party for DK Metcalf. I’ve been careful not to hype Metcalf, and for good reason. He has all the physical tools, but he also has holes in his game. He worked hard this preseason to improve his routes, and he made a lot of progress. But he’s still a rookie. Happily for the Hawks, he’s going against a pair of the league’s weaker corners in the Bengals Dre Kirkpatrick and William Jackson. It’s time to unleash those claws, Wolverine.
Next. 12thManRising staff predictions vs Bengals. dark
The biggest reasons the Seahawks will dominate this game are pictured at the top of the article. Wilson is poised for his best season ever. Pete Carroll is one of the league’s very best coaches. And of course, the 12s will rock the house no other stadium in the league. I see this as a runaway for Seattle. Seahawks 31 Bengals 13.