The Chargers are at domestic in Week 7 for a date with the Seahawks.
Kickoff is Sunday at 1:25 p.m. (PT). The Bolts are four-2 whilst the Seahawks are three-three.
We chatted with Michael-Shawn Dugar, who covers the Seahawks for The Athletic, to get a preview of the sport.
The Seahawks take a seat down at three-three thru six video games. Are you amazed via way of means of that report, or is that in which you predicted them to be at this factor?
MSD: I predicted the Seahawks to be a six-win group and projected victories over the Lions, Falcons, Giants and Jets, with a 2-four report withinside the NFC West. Things haven`t long past pretty as I predicted to begin the yr however being three-three with wins over Denver and Detroit and an NFC West victory thru six weeks is not all that surprising.
How they have long past approximately triumphing – and losing – a number of those video games is interesting, though. The Seahawks have one of the quality defenses withinside the league and one of the worst defenses. No one should have expected that.
Geno Smith is gambling like a Pro Bowler and his byskip safety has been strong, then on the opposite facet of the ball the protection cannot always get off the sector in opposition to one, store for the Week 6 thumping of the Arizona Cardinals. I’d bet Seattle’s offensive numbers take a piece of a dip because the yr progresses and the protective numbers progressively improve, leaving Seattle as a barely below-common group via way of means of yr’s end.
Geno Smith appears to were revitalized of past due and drew a ton of reward this week from Chargers Head Coach Brandon Staley. What’s been clocking for Smith this season?
MSD: Smith entered this season with extra profession interceptions (37) than landing passes (34) and had but to illustrate an capacity to push the ball down the sector with out compromising accuracy or ball security. He has found out that stability in Seattle. It enables having dependable byskip safety and arguably the quality receiving tandem in soccer however extra than the guns round him, Smith simply appears to have found out the way to take calculated dangers with the soccer. In New York, he seemed to be a gunslinger and not using a regard for the consequences. Here in Seattle, gambling for a teach whose software is “all approximately the ball,” Smith found out how to attend to the ball whilst nevertheless getting it to his playmakers at an green clip.
Tariq Woolen has been strong all season and is coming off NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. What’s been the important thing to his achievement as a rookie?
MSD: He simply keeps to grow. His insurance has been great the whole season however he is had a penalty problem, drawing six at the season, third-maximum withinside the NFL. You can inform the coaches have labored with him to higher apprehend how officers name video games withinside the NFL. They’ve additionally seemed to boost to him that due to the fact his insurance has been so good, he would not need to get grabby on the factor of attack – he can simply move up and capture the ball. He’s accomplished that a part of the task in addition to every person withinside the league. Beyond that, Woolen is 6-foot-four with four.2 pace and 34-inch arms, a lot of what we are seeing to date is using herbal capacity and athleticism.
Who’s an under-the-radar Seahawks participant to preserve an eye fixed on Sunday?
MSD: A acquainted face to Chargers fans: Uchenna Nwosu. He became quietly Seattle’s maximum luxurious loose agent signing, inking a -yr, $19 million contract. Among gamers with as a minimum a hundred byskip-rush snaps, the previous Charger ranks twenty third in stress percentage (13.6). He leads the Seahawks with 8 quarterback hits and 3 sacks. Nwosu additionally has a pressured fumble and 2 batted passes at the season. Nwosu stated this week he is usually fired up on sport day so there may be no delivered motivation gambling in opposition to his former group this week. Regardless, he is a Seahawk participant now no longer frequently mentioned who will have a giant effect withinside the final results of the sport Sunday.
Finally, what is a 1-on-1 matchup you are looking ahead to monitoring in Week 7?
MSD: Let’s visit the trenches: Nose address Al Woods in opposition to middle Corey Linsley, men at important positions of their respective schemes. It’s Linsley’s task to name alerts and keep order up front. It’s Woods’ task to wreak havoc. The Chargers are higher at walking the ball and higher at protective their quarterback with Linsley withinside the lineup. The Seahawks are a higher run protection while their 350-plus pound protective address is manning the middle. If Linsley receives the higher of Woods, the Chargers’ probabilities of triumphing move manner up. The equal is proper for Seattle if Woods dominates Linsley and the Chargers’ front.