3 bold predictions for Seahawks vs. Falcons Week 3
By Lee Vowell
Prediction 2: Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny gets 125 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns
Rashaad Penny has been underused in 2022. I am not breaking news here. Through two games, Penny, who led the league in yards-per-carry in 2021, has a total of 18 carries. In other words, an average of 9 carries a game. That is at least 6 carries a game short of where he should be. Penny might be stopped for 2 yards 10 times a game but he also only needs a couple of runs to change the course of a game.
Penny is a breakaway threat. Don’t believe me? See the last five games of 2021. But if Penny doesn’t get fed the ball often enough, he isn’t going to have long runs that change games. Defenses are keying on him a bit more this year but part of the issue he doesn’t have tons of yards is because the offense has been way too conservative.
The Seahawks seem to abhor throwing the ball deep with Geno Smith but I am not sure why. Smith throws a decent deep ball and has the receivers in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett to test defenses downfield. Doing so would make a defense not load up at the line of scrimmage to stuff the run.
I am not sure what is wrong with the overall Seattle offense so far this year but I know a part of the reason Seattle hasn’t scored in 6 quarters is that they aren’t using the weapons they have to maximize their potential. The Falcons are 21st in the NFL allowing 4.8 yards a carry. If Seattle uses Penny as they should against Atlanta, Penny will help lead the Seahawks to a victory.