Seahawks versus Falcons: 5 questions about Atlanta with Blogging Dirty
By Lee Vowell
Better than expected Falcons
12th Man Rising: Who are a couple of Falcons players that have exceeded your expectations this season and why?
Jeff Benedict: One is Kaleb McGary. Rookie out of your area. He has had to face some of the best pass-rushers in the NFL in the first seven games of his career and while he has had some rookie moments, he has performed extremely well. I am really excited to see his continued development and I cannot wait until we get fellow rookie Chris Lindstrom back to pair with him.
The second is Grady Jarrett. There were a lot of upset Falcons fans when Grady signed the extension that he signed, but damn, there have not been many defensive tackles in the NFL this year that have been better than Grady. When he is not in the game, there is a huge drop off in pressure and it’s very obvious. Grady has been the lone bright spot on defense and gives me a reason to smile when the opposing offenses have the football.
How quickly can the Falcons improve?
12th Man Rising: How quickly can the Falcons get back to a Super Bowl level and what do they need to do to get there?
Jeff Benedict: The honest answer to this question depends on the moves the Arthur Blank makes in the coming months. The front office needs to be replaced as does the coaching staff. If he makes the right hires, they can be contenders next season as there are plenty of pieces here. If Blank whiffs, then Matt Ryan and Julio Jones will have had their careers wasted and will probably never see the Falcons get to that for a long time.
Who wins when the Seahawks play the Falcons?
12th Man Rising: Who wins on Sunday when the Seahawks play Atlanta and why?
Jeff Benedict: Seattle wins this game Sunday and it will probably be over at halftime. Even if Matt Ryan does play, he has not missed a game in more than a decade, he is playing with a high ankle sprain behind a terrible offensive line and is a sitting duck. The run game has been non-existent for the Falcons for two years now.
Next. Should Seahawks trade for a Falcons tight end?. dark
Russell Wilson will tear this defense apart. Isaiah Oliver is as bad a corner you will find in the NFL and the rest of the corners do not communicate. I expect Wilson to have a career day in his wife’s hometown. This is the worst-ranked defense in the NFL, this will be a nice bounce back game for the Seahawks.