Even after taking their first loss of the season in Week 4, it’s hard to argue with the month the Seattle Seahawks turned in this September.
With a new head coach, Mike Macdonald, calling the shots, an elite defense with an in-vogue scheme, and a point differential of +17, Geno Smith has led his team to the best mark in the NFC West, even if the 49ers are giving the team a run for their money at 2-2.
And in Week 5, they have a chance to prove that their loss to the Detroit Lions was only a bump in the road, as they will be welcoming one of the worst teams in the NFL, the New York Giants, to the Emerald City for an afternoon PCN showdown. While this game may not look like the shootouts Seattle has taken on over the past few years, as they might be up double-digits at the half, it should result in another Seahawks win all the same.
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1. Geno Smith attempts less than 30 passes
In Week 4, Smith was a man on fire.
Taking the field against a Lions defense that was up-and-down against the pass for much of the season, Smith attempted an astounding 56 passes in Week 4, completing 38 of them for 395 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Now granted, the Seahawks needed every one of those receptions and then some, as they ultimately lost the game 29-42, but that doesn’t mean this game was an aberration, as Seattle loves to air it out under their new head coach.
But will that continue in Week 5? Will Smith continue to lead the NFL in yards and passing attempts after Seattle’s game against the Giants? Or will there be a new leader in the NFL clubhouse for better or worse?
Facing off against a Giants defense that has allowed 200-plus passing yards in each of the last two weeks, Week 5 could be another marquee showing for New York. But considering the Giants have a point differential of -24, and have trailed heading into the fourth in all three of their losses, that might not need to be the case.
If the Seahawks are able to throw the ball effectively early on and go up a few scores against a Giants defense that is average across the board, the chances of Macdonald and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb continuing to air it out instead of playing the ground-and-pound game to run out the clock feels incredibly unlikely. Bad for Smith’s stat line? Maybe so, but considering QB2 is Brock Purdy, who is facing off against the New England Patriots, that lead may be long gone either way, at least for now.
2. The Seahawks double the Giants’ rushing yards
So, if the Seahawks decide against throwing the ball 50-plus times for the second week in a row, it will probably be because they’ve built a healthy lead over the Giants and want to run out the clock on the ground.
Despite having a below-average rushing attack in 2024, allowing 40 more yards than they’ve recorded through Week 4 – 425 versus 465 – Kenneth Walker III has looked great all season, and Zach Charbonnet played great in his absence in Week 3, picking up 91 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries; pair that duo against a Giants defense that has allowed an average of 118.75 yards per game and the Seahawks could really shine in Week 5.
Should the Seahawks outrun the Giants in Week 5? Yes, but I’ll do you one better; after watching the Giants somehow only rush for 26 yards in Week 4, the Seahawks might just double their foes’ rushing total if things shake out as they should.
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After saying goodbye in free agency to Saquon Barkley, who is crushing it for the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, the G-Men brought in Devin Singletary from Buffalo to fill their lead-back role in 2024. But so far, the results have been mixed, with Singleton picking up 95 yards in Week 2 and 65 yards in Week 3 but under 40 in Week 1 and just 24 in Week 4 on 14 carries.
Factor in that Singletary only has one game with more than 15 yards as a receiver despite being targeted an average of 2.75 times per game as a receiver, and there’s a world where Brian Daboll once again decides to abandon the run down the stretch once more, double-down on Malik Nabers, allowing New York’s new WR1 to give his former quarterback a run for his money as the Rookie of the Year favorite. Considering Nabers has recorded double-digit targets in each of the last three games, betting the over on his line has to be a borderline lock.
3. A bounce-back win has Seattle at 4-1
Even if Nabers turned in an Odell Beckham Jr.-esque performance in Week 5, picking up his third 100-yard game in his fifth professional start, it’s hard to imagine a world where the Giants secure the win in Week 5.
Why? Because the Seahawks are just too good on both sides of the ball, were dealt their first loss of the year in Week 4, and probably want to make a statement against one of the dregs of the NFL to prove they are still worthy of their spot as the top team in the NFC West. Factor in that the game is at home, and the Giants have to fly across the country for a 4:25 showdown, and there really isn’t a reason to believe in anyone but Seattle in Week 5, especially as they have the 49ers breathing down their necks for the top spot in the division.
