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The Seattle Seahawks have the perfect chance to set the tone for the rest of the season on Sunday as a Week 3 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons awaits Pete Carroll's squad. After a strong showing in Week 1, the Seahawks looked more like the team everyone had pegged them to be during their Week 2 loss against the 49ers. It's time to dive into some Seahawks Week 3 predictions for their matchup against the Falcons.
While this matchup is lacking in terms of overall star power, both the Seahawks and Falcons will be looking to bounce back in Week 3. The Seahawks are coming off an ugly 27-7 defeat against the 49ers, while the Falcons will be disappointed not to have been on the winning side of a second-half comeback after falling just short against the LA Rams.
With both teams coming off of disappointing losses, they'll both be desperate to get back into the win column in Week 3. With all that in mind, we have some Seahawks Week 3 predictions to share.
Seattle Seahawks bold predictions for Week 3 vs. Falcons
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4. Geno Smith maintains his accurate ways
Perhaps the biggest surprise in the Seahawks' 2022 season thus far has been the new version of Geno Smith. Smith was never known for his accuracy as a passer, but that's been far and away his strongest trait this year. Smith is ensuring that he doesn't lose his grip over the starting job, and is protecting the football while doing it.
In Week 1 vs. the Broncos, Smith completed 23-of-28 pass attempts for 195 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. In Week 2, he went 24-of-30 with 0 touchdowns and one interception. On the year, Smith has now completed 47-of-58 pass attempts, good for an absurd 81% completion rate.
We're expecting to see the same patient Smith that has been under center in Seattle for the first two weeks of the season. While Smith may take a chance or two down field against a feeble Falcons' secondary, we're anticipating another accurate night out of the 31-year-old.
3. Rashaad Penny takes over
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The Seahawks' passing attack has been remarkably accurate. But what it lacks is the big plays. Smith has not thrown over 200 passing yards in a game this season, meaning that the big plays are more likely to come on the ground. Rashaad Penny is more than capable of breaking some tackles and turning nothing into a big gain.
The Falcons' run defense has been middle of the road thus far into the year, but they also haven't faced many run-first offenses. Alvin Kamara rushed just nine times in Week 1, and while the tandem of Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers saw more touches in Week 2, they weren't able to break off for any big runs.
Penny should see a significant workload in Week 3 and will have plenty of opportunities to burst through a hole in the seams and get big yardage. We're envisioning at least one touchdown for Penny in Week 3, alongside 75+ yards and at least 15 carries.
2. Quandre Diggs finally gets his INT
Quandre Diggs has had potential interceptions fall through his fingers in each of the first two weeks. That will change in Week 3 against Marcus Mariota and the Falcons. While Mariota isn't an inaccurate passer, the Falcons could be forced to take some big shots down field if they fall behind the Seahawks early. Mariota is far from a world-beater in terms of arm strength, so Diggs should be patrolling the secondary and looking for his chance to make a big play.
Diggs has five interceptions in each of the last two seasons, and could already have at least two to his name in 2022 if he came down with the football. He'll be looking to redeem himself in Week 3 and come away with a big interception to stunt the Falcons' offense.
1. Seahawks win a nailbiter, improve to 2-1
This game doesn't figure to be too high-scoring, as neither offense provides too much flare. That doesn't mean this won't be a highly-contested affair, however. On paper, there isn't all that much separating these two teams. Both feature a stop-gap quarterback alongside some offensive playmakers and have a defense that needs improvement.
With that in mind, we're expecting the Seahawks to take home the win in a close game where neither team scores more than 20 points. If Smith can continue to pass with accuracy and not turn the ball over, the Seahawks should be able to pull out a win, though it figures to go down to the wire. We're projecting a narrow Seahawks win in a 17-14 ball game.
