·November 8, 2023·2 min read

Tale of the Tape: Seahawks Stare Mediocrity in the Mirror

The Seahawks got their tails whipped in Baltimore, answering the question of just how close they are to the elite in this league. Now, they welcome in a mediocre Washington Commanders, and while they are heavily favored (-6.5), the visiting team has a lot in common with the Seahawks. They have certain strengths (passing offense) and clear weaknesses (passing defense) that have added up to a middling record.

This game represents an opportunity for Seattle to reestablish their climb out of the mediocre middle. Anyone expecting a blowout or comfortable win should think again. Despite the trade of Chase Young and Montez Sweat, this Commanders team is dangerous. Sweat and Young were not the only reason this Washington team led the Eagles heading into the fourth quarter just two weeks ago, and they certainly weren’t the reason for the win in New England last week.

Sam Howell has been a dangerous passer and has weapons. The Seahawks defense will need to return to their level of play for Seattle to win in this one. It also would not be surprising to see Pete Carroll require a more conservative approach to offense after the debacle in Baltimore, which could reduce explosive plays and keep points down while limiting turnovers and negative plays.

Seattle should win, but expect a dog fight

NOTE: please excuse an abbreviated Tale of the Tape this week as I’m traveling for work

The way this works: Each offense will be pitted against the opposing defense and compared on an array of key statistical attributes based on their respective rank in the NFL. The tables that follow show the rank of each unit for each of these categories.

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