On Oct. 30, the Seattle Seahawks travel to the Superdome to take on the New Orleans Saints. Seattle is coming off a thrilling 6-6 tie against the Arizona Cardinals while the Saints are trying to recover from a 27-21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. What are some important storylines to focus on in this upcoming matchup?
Jimmy Graham Comes Home
Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham is playing in New Orleans for the first time since being traded in 2015. The fans are likely to boo him early and often, but he is going to factor largely into the Seahawks passing game. Fully recovered from back and other ailments, he is likely looking to make a statement to his former team.
Seattle Has the NFL’s Top Defense
The Seahawks have dubbed their defense the “Legion of Boom” because of the hard-hitting style that they play with. Over the past three or four seasons, the defense in Seattle has been among the best in the NFL. Cornerback Richard Sherman is effective either shadowing a top receiver or simply covering a section of the field and shutting down whoever comes by. It is likely that Sherman will cover Brandin Cooks or Michael Thomas on Sunday.
Drew Brees Has Played Lights Out the Past Two Weeks
Just because Seattle has a good defense doesn’t mean that everyone should sleep on the Saints this week. Although the Saints’ was not expected to be one of the most potent offenses in the league, Quarterback Drew Brees has thrown for over 360 yards and three touchdowns in each of the past two games. He has a trio of elite receivers in Brandin Cooks, Michael Thomas and Willie Snead. Mark Ingram can also be effective either running or catching the ball out of the backfield on occasion.
What Does This Game Mean From a Playoff Perspective?
The Seahawks enter the game at 4-1-1, which is good for first place in the NFC West. The Saints are 2-4 and in third place in the NFC South. A win for the Seahawks keeps them on pace for a potential top seed in the NFC while a win for the Saints keeps them in the hunt for a division title or wild card spot. A win for New Orleans could also be important for both a head-to-head tiebreaker as well as record against common opponents tiebreaker should they need it.
New Orleans is always dangerous at home because the conditions are perfect for their air attack. However, the saying goes that defense wins championships, and it is more likely than not that the Seahawks manage to come away with the victory in this game.
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