Hill is not the back you want to play against a Seahawks’ front seven that’s as good as anyone at stopping backs who make most of their money running between the tackles.
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Seattle corners Richard Sherman and Cary Williams have to keep Green and Sanu in check on Sunday, much like they did against Lions receivers Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate last week if the Hawks are going to slow down the Bengals. The Seahawks force most teams to dink and dunk, but the Bengals are bound to test the Seahawks deep.
Matthew Willson: This game could go one of two ways. They have permitted Jackson to be more creative at virtually any point of a game, and they have allowed defensive coordinator Paul Guenther to vary the types of blitzes and line pressures he brings.
The Bengals are ascending National Football League power rankings everywhere. Andy Dalton, harassed for his mediocrity at times, has been nothing but fantastic this season with his full compliment of weapons. 500 through nearly one-third of their schedule.
Jackson then went on to start every game the rest of the year for Seattle despite barely being able to practice on a weekly basis. This could very well lead to a long day for Wilson. Rawls was in for the majority of the game and rushed for 104 yards, and Locket returned another kick 105 yards to the end-zone for the fourth time as a Seahawk.
On the season, the Seahawks average 217.8 yards in passing and 128.0 yards in rushing. The Bengals have been beating teams that they should beat and have yet been challenged by a team who can be considered as talented as the Seahawks.
Kam Chancellor’s presence back on the field certainly lifted the defense’s spirits and their level of play.
It has been a few days since the soul-crushing loss the Kansas City Chiefs suffered at the hands of Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals. Wilson’s mobility has allowed him to make enough plays behind a struggling offensive line, and Lynch should give Seattle’s offense a boost. “Either that, or they’ve got a little too much confidence in the powers of Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch, because not only have they seemingly turned a blind eye towards the unit, they opted to get rid of its best player (Max Unger) past year”, writes PFF’s Khaled Elsayed. The best thing coming out of this week may be the pride the offensive line is finally showing, as they seem to be fed up by their poor play and fans/media constantly talking about their poor performance. Additionally, the Seahawks have had to play catch-up in their first two games.
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The Seahawks are ranked second in overall defense, fifth against the pass and seventh against the run and look set to battle it out for the top spot this season. Their defense is seen as one of the most aggressive and effective in the National Football League, yet their home and away splits are disconcerting for a team that is supposed to have an “elite” defense. Dalton’s been showing his appreciation by picking up the dinner check for his offensive line on several occasions already this season.
