Key Matchups to Watch as Seahawks Duel Saints in Week 3
Looking to start stacking wins in the first month of the 2025 season, the Seattle Seahawks will return home seeking their first victory at Lumen Field since last November when they host the winless New Orleans Saints in Week 3.
Rebounding from a disappointing finish against the 49ers in their home opener, the Seahawks took care of business in Pittsburgh to come back from a halftime deficit for a decisive 31-17 road win. The Saints hung tough with the aforementioned 49ers at home, clawing within one score late in the fourth quarter, but fell to 0-2 with a 26-21 defeat.
With Seattle hoping to start a winning streak and New Orleans simply seeking its first victory, here are six key positional matchups to watch when the two teams spar on Sunday:
Seahawks defensive tackles Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, and Jarran Reed versus Saints guards Cesar Ruiz and Trevor Penning: Through the early portion of the 2025 season, the Saints have been ravaged by injuries along their interior offensive line, as Penning has missed the first two games and now his replacement Dillon Radunz has been ruled out for Sunday, potentially thrusting a third-string blocker in Simpkins into action. Penning, who was listed as questionable, will make his season debut, a positive development from a talent standpoint. However, the former first round pick switched positions this offseason after opening his career struggling in pass protection as a tackle and has been plagued by penalties in the past, including committing 13 last year alone.
Even with Penning back, that’s not an ideal situation for New Orleans trying to protect Spencer Rattler against arguably the best trio of defensive tackles in the NFL right now in Williams, Murphy, and Reed, who have been devouring quarterbacks and running backs alike in the first two weeks. All three players already have at least five pressures and a partial sack, while Williams and Murphy each rank in the top 20 among interior defenders in Pass Rush Win Rate, according to PFF charting. Additionally, Williams and Murphy sit tied for second in the NFL in run stops and average depth of tackle and Reed has more tackles (eight) against the run than either of them. Rotating those three players as well as Mike Morris and undrafted rookie Jared Ivey into the mix, the stage has been set for the group to potentially take over the game against an undermanned opponent.
Seahawks receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, and Tory Horton versus Saints cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry, Isaac Yiadom, and Alontae Taylor: One of several positional units to undergo significant changes in the offseason, New Orleans’ cornerback group looks vastly different than it did at this time last year, dealing Marshon Lattimore to Washington at the trade deadline last fall and allowing Paulson Adebo to bolt in free agency. With those departures, McKinstry took over as the new No. 1 cornerback, Yiadom returned after spending one season with the 49ers, and Taylor remained as the primary slot option. So far, it’s been a mixed bag for the Saints, as their cornerbacks have done a solid job of eliminating downfield explosives but also have had their share of issues giving up yards after the catch. Yiadom ranks 14th in yards after the catch (42) and Taylor sits just behind him (39).
At full strength, the Seahawks’ receiving corps could be problematic considering those issues tackling pass catchers. Smith-Njigba currently ranks 12th among all receivers with 59 yards after the catch and after racking up 41 such yards last week against the Steelers, Kupp sits in the top 25 in that category as well, though both have modest averages under five yards after the catch per reception. Horton has the breakaway speed to be a factor in that capacity as well, while Dareke Young could be an X-factor to watch in this contest given his prior running back background, especially if he’s matched up in the slot against Taylor, who has missed three tackles in two games in coverage already. Look for Klint Kubiak to stick to his philosophy of attacking the middle of the field in the intermediate game and letting his playmakers go to work.
Seahawks linebackers Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight versus Saints running back Alvin Kamara: Historically, few running backs have tormented a team over an extended period of time more ferociously than Kamara has done to the Seahawks. In three previous games against Seattle, he has averaged 178 yards from scrimmage, including a whopping 103 yards per game as a receiver out of the backfield. Whether taking handoffs or catching passes in the screen game, off swing routes, or lined up out wide, he has been a game wrecker running through and around tacklers rain or shine, including forcing an incredible 12 missed tackles in a Week 3 matchup at Lumen Field in 2019. Even at 30 years old, he has started his ninth season continuing to be highly productive with 144 rushing yards and a touchdown, though he hasn’t been much of a factor as a receiver yet.
Holding opponents to 17 points in each of the first two games, the Seahawks haven’t had too many noteworthy issues on defense in the early stages of the 2025 season. But as coach Mike Macdonald acknowledged earlier in the week, his team has not done a good enough job of containing running backs as pass catchers, including allowing Jaylen Warren to break a bunch of tackles on the way to a 65-yard gain last weekend in Pittsburgh. On that particular play, both Jones and Knight failed to bring Warren down, and they combined to miss five tackles against the Steelers. They will have to be on their A game against Kamara, who plays as if butter is soaked through his uniform, or it could be a case of déjà vu where the elusive all-around back helps engineer an upset opportunity.
Seahawks running backs Ken Walker III, George Holani, and Jacardia Wright versus Saints linebackers Demario Davis and Pete Werner: The Seahawks will be without 50 percent of their thunder and lightning combination on Sunday with Zach Charbonnet battling a toe injury and ruled out after being listed as doubtful on Friday. The physical runner’s absence will be felt as a change of pace to Walker’s elusiveness and breakaway speed, but Holani has impressed in each of the last two preseasons and readied himself for the chance to show what he can do with his own unique skill set, including soft hands out of the backfield, as he caught 90 passes in college at Boise State. As far as filling the between the tackles hammer role, don’t discount Wright either, as the bruising 220-pound back had a great exhibition season and has the size to handle tough carries for short yardage if called upon.
What makes this matchup all the more intriguing, however, is the issues the Saints have had defending opposing running backs. Through two games, they rank in the bottom third in the NFL in receptions (13) and receiving yards (67) allowed to backs along with being tied for the most touchdowns allowed to backs as receivers (two). In Week 2, Davis and Werner allowed three catches to Christian McCaffrey for 36 yards and 17 yards after the catch, and Davis surrendered a touchdown in the red zone to Cardinals back James Conner in the season opener. Both veteran linebackers rank in the top 20 at their position in yards allowed after the catch and pitting Walker and Holani against them in the passing game along with tight ends could be an area of advantage for Kubiak to exploit.
Seahawks cornerbacks Riq Woolen, Josh Jobe, and Derion Kendrick versus Saints receivers Chris Olave, Rasheed Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks: While the Saints have injury issues along their offensive line, the Seahawks have a M.A.S.H. unit in the secondary after two games. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon and rookie safety Nick Emmanwori didn’t play last week in Pittsburgh and both will be inactive on Sunday again, meaning the defensive backfield will be short handed for a second straight game. Making matters more challenging going into Sunday, veteran safety Julian Love also will be out, pushing Ty Okada, Jerrick Reed II, and D’Anthony Bell into action as a by-committee approach starting next to Coby Bryant.
Aside from Love and Emmanwori being out putting pressure on the coaching staff mixing and matching backups in their place, not having Love in particular will create stress on Seattle’s cornerback group. So far, Jobe has played like an All-Pro, allowing just two catches on nine targets with an interception and a pass breakup, while Woolen rebounded from a rough opener with a solid game in Pittsburgh and Kendrick stepped up in magnificent fashion with an interception replacing Witherspoon in the slot. Still, having a safety of Love’s IQ and versatility on the back end makes life easier for boundary corners and him not being available creates the opportunity for a burner like Shaheed or Cooks to successfully take the top off the defense for a chunk play or two, while Olave can tie corners into knots working from outside and the slot. If the pass rush up front can’t get to Rattler, this matchup bears watching as one that could swing things into New Orleans’ favor.
Seahawks tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas versus Saints defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson: Now 36 years old, Jordan isn’t the All-Pro talent he used to be, evidenced by his diminishing sack production in the past two years. But he can still create some problems for tackles with his power and technical skills off the edge, particularly in the run game, and does have four pressures and a sack so far this year. Across from him, Granderson has taken the torch as the Saints’ new pass rushing maestro, as he’s currently in the midst of a potential career year with a league-high 3.5 sacks on six pressures so far. Capable of winning with power and finesse off the edge, he presents the biggest potential problem for Seattle’s tackles in this game.
With that said, Cross and Lucas have both gotten off to steady starts in their fourth seasons with the Seahawks. Even after giving up three pressures and a quarterback hit on Sam Darnold last week, Cross has mostly been squeaky clean in pass protection while inflicting damage in the run game, including dishing out two pancakes at the second level against the Steelers last week. Fully healthy for the first time in two years, Lucas has had moments of rust, including getting pushed back into Darnold to lead to a game-ending fumble against the 49ers in Week 1. But he looked more comfortable last week and as he gets his legs back underneath him, his physicality and athleticism at the point of attack should give him an edge in the run game working against Jordan and Granderson. The key for both will be to set strong anchors in pass pro and not let either rusher win by bullying them back into the pocket consistently.
