Key Matchups to Watch as Seahawks Travel to Face Falcons
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="3467"]
Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) sacks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images [/caption]
Seeking their 10th win of the season with five games remaining on the schedule and looking to stay atop the NFC West standings, the Seattle Seahawks will fly southeast to square off against the reeling Atlanta Falcons.
Building a new winning streak, Seattle overcame uncharacteristic offensive struggles against Minnesota last weekend with a dominant performance by its defense, securing a 26-0 shutout victory at Lumen Field. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s swoon continued with an ugly loss to the New York Jets, digging an even deeper hole for Raheem Morris’ squad at the bottom of the NFC standings.
Which matchups will dictate who snags a win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium? Here are six positional matchups to keep a close eye on as the Seahawks battle the Falcons in Week 14:
Seahawks defensive tackles Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II, and Jarran Reed versus Falcons guards Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron, center Ryan Neuzil: Only two teams have multiple defensive tackles with at least 40 quarterback pressures, and the Seahawks fall in that exclusive group with Williams and Murphy continuing to inflict consistent punishment on opposing signal callers. “Big Cat” has turned in another remarkable season thus far with 46 pressures and seven sacks, putting him nearly on pace to equal his numbers from a year ago in that category, while he also sits in the top five at his position with 10 quarterback hits. Meanwhile, Murphy has taken a massive step forward in his sophomore campaign as a dynamic sidekick, hitting the 40 pressure mark with seven sacks and a 12.7% Pass Rush Win Rate, sitting in the top 20 in all three categories among qualified defensive tackles. Further bolstering the group, Reed will return from a four-game absence after hand/wrist surgery, adding another weapon for the Falcons to worry about in the trenches.
Typically one of the best guards in the game, Lindstrom hasn’t been on his A game this year, in part due to playing at less than 100% with nagging injuries. His 29 quarterback pressures allowed ranks as the third most in the NFL, while his 96.4% Pass Block Efficiency Rate sits 49th out of 58 qualified guards, so he has endured his share of struggles this year. Bergeron has been slightly more effective in 10 starts, yielding 17 pressures and a 97.2% Pass Block Efficiency Rate. Both players have top-11 run blocking grades, however, which could be the equalizer trying to neutralize Seattle’s talented front line. The X-factor for this critical matchup up front lies at center, where Neuzil has been solid, yet far from spectacular, as the replacement for former starter Drew Dalman, and he will be tested by Murphy and Brandon Pili at the nose position trying to keep Kirk Cousins upright.
Seahawks tackles Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas versus Falcons edge defenders Leonard Floyd, Jalon Walker, and James Pearce: Truly turning the corner in his fourth NFL season, Cross has been among the best pass protecting tackles in the NFL from the outset this season, as he has allowed just a single sack in 12 starts thus far. Across the line, Lucas’ play has been a bit more inconsistent with 19 pressures and three sacks allowed, but he has a near identical Pass Block Efficiency Rate and with the exception of a couple of games where he hasn’t been quite as sharp, both have done a fine job of protecting Sam Darnold. Run blocking has not been as strong, with each player ranking outside of the top 15 run blockers in the league in run block grade. With that said, Seattle has rushed for over 100 yards in four straight games, easily the longest streak of 2025 with the ground game gradually getting better.
If there’s a team that can make life challenging for Cross and Lucas, however, after multiple seasons of struggling to find much of a pass rush, the Falcons have built a more than formidable edge rush group blending experience and upside. Previously playing for the Rams and 49ers in the NFC West, Floyd has been a perennial Seahawks killer over the years, and while he only has 2.5 sacks so far this season, he ranks second on the Falcons with 27 pressures and remains a viable threat to quarterbacks. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s pair of first round picks in Walker and Pearce each have at least five sacks apiece, with each offering explosiveness and quick twitch off the line to wreak havoc as speed rushers who could get after Darnold in a hurry on Sunday. If the Falcons can consistently do that with their three-headed monster off the edge, they can absolutely hang around as the underdog on their home field.
Seahawks linebackers Ernest Jones and Drake Thomas versus Falcons running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Algeier: Once viewed as a potential Achilles heel for Macdonald’s defense prior to the start of training camp with depth concerns away from star Ernest Jones, linebacker has been an unexpected area of strength for Seattle and the group continues to make game-changing plays. Last weekend, Jones returned a pick six 85 yards in a win over the Vikings and he currently leads all linebackers with five interceptions to go with 83 combined tackles, playing at an All-Pro level. Next to him, Thomas has been a revelation, racking up double-digit tackles for loss to go with 3.5 sacks and six passes defensed, posting a stat line that isn’t matched by any other off-ball linebacker in the league.
But in terms of challenges, Sunday might be the toughest one Jones and Thomas have faced all season long. For all of Atlanta’s struggles on offense, the team still has had a potent ground attack led by Robinson, who has averaged 5.1 yards per carry this season while scoring five touchdowns on the ground. The former top-10 pick has also been a handful in the passing game with 54 catches for 594 yards and two touchdowns, creating a potential matchup issue for both of Seattle’s standout linebackers. In addition, with Robinson as the lightning, Algeier has brought the thunder to the Falcons’ backfield, leading the team with eight rushing touchdowns as a viable short yardage and goal line change of pace option. The Seahawks will have to swarm to the football defending both backs, as yards after contact and after the catch could be the recipe for the Falcons to hang around on Sunday.
Seahawks receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp versus Falcons cornerbacks A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes, and Dee Alford: For the first time in 2025, Smith-Njigba looked human against the Vikings, not catching a single pass until the third quarter and finishing with season-lows in receptions (two) and yards (23). Shaheed and Kupp weren’t much more effective as Minnesota’s blitz packages and sim pressures rendered Seattle’s passing game mostly punch-less with just 128 total passing yards on the afternoon. Hitting the road for one of their final cross country trips, Darnold will be seeking a bounce back performance getting all of his receivers more involved as a means to try to put away an inferior opponent early. But that might be easier said than done, especially considering Atlanta’s pass rush up front.
On the back end, A.J. Terrell has had a steady rebound season after struggling in 2024, as he has yet to allow a touchdown in 12 starts and leads the team with six pass breakups. The former Clemson star likely will travel some with Smith-Njigba, pitting Atlanta’s best against the NFL’s premier receiver. Hughes has been the one weak spot in the Falcons’ secondary, allowing three touchdowns in coverage and a 92.7 passer rating, and has had some issues dealing with Shaheed in the past when they were formerly NFC South rivals. Alford has made a successful transition to full-time slot cornerback in his fourth season, producing an interception and two pass breakups in coverage while still seeing some action on the boundary. He has played well against Seattle in the past and likely will draw most of his snaps against Kupp or Shaheed inside in an individual matchup that could be a significant one this week.
Seahawks safeties Julian Love, Coby Bryant, and Nick Emmanwori versus Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts: For the first time since Week 4, the Seahawks will have their entire safety group back together with Love officially being activated from injured reserve after missing two months with hamstring issues. Macdonald wouldn’t confirm whether or not the former Pro Bowler would be on a pitch count, but given the long layoff and the nature of his injury, it would be a surprise if the team cuts him lose and he plays most or all of the snaps. Instead, Ty Okada should continue to see some action on Sunday, rotating in with Love to keep him fresh in his return. Away from that probable platoon, Bryant has owned Cousins in the past, including picking him off in the fourth quarter last season in Atlanta.
But out of all of Seattle’s safeties, Emmanwori will be the one under the microscope on Sunday, as the franchise traded up in the second round to draft him with a matchup against a start tight end such as Pitts in mind. Few safeties have the size and athleticism package to match up well against Pitts, who has had one of his better seasons thus far with more than 50 receptions and close to 600 receiving yards as the primary weapon in the passing game. His ability to stretch the field and win vertically always poses a problem, and the Seahawks will be banking on Emmanwori’s rare 4.32 speed at 6-3, 228 pounds to counter that ability and help limit Pitts’ potency as a downfield target. The rookie should have help on the back end as well with the absence of receiver Drake London opening the door for more support from Love, Bryant, or Okada on deep routes from the tight end.
Seahawks running backs Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet versus Falcons linebackers Kaden Elliss and Divine Deablo: Finally starting to find some consistency running the football in the second half of the season, Seattle has eclipsed 100 rushing yards as a team in four consecutive games with both Walker and Charbonnet making positive contributions. Last week, Walker ripped off a 24-yard run that was just one trip up away from being a 60-plus yard touchdown, and he’s been running with a vengeance as of late, doing a better job of taking what is in front of him rather than trying to do too much bouncing runs outside. Even with opponents frequently hitting him in the backfield, Charbonnet has played some of his best football in the last few weeks, breaking seven tackles against the Vikings last weekend while scoring a 17-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to all but seal the victory.
Atlanta has been a little better defending the run in recent weeks, but Raheem Morris’ crew still has allowed the eighth-most rushing yards (1,574) and ninth-highest yards per carry average (4.5) in the league. Some of that has been due to opponents successfully getting blockers to the second level, where undersized linebackers in Ellis and Deablo have had a tough time shedding blocks and occasionally leaving tackles on the field. The Seahawks have demonstrated improvements working off combo blocks and getting hands on defenders downfield, which could serve them well in this matchup to help spring Walker and Charbonnet for some chunk plays on the ground. Getting both players involved in the passing game could also be in Seattle’s best interest, as Ellis has given up three touchdowns in coverage so far this year with a 100-plus passer rating against.
