SEAHAWKS: Seahawks vs. Saints important matchups

This Sunday, the Seahawks face the 6-3 New Orleans Saints in the Superdome. The Saints have been different from what they were last year, which was a high scoring offense, but a sub-par defense. This year they aren’t as explosive on offense, but their defense has been stellar, being ranked number one against the pass. Here are the matchups the Seahawks need to win to squeak out a victory in the Big Easy.

Matt Hasselbeck vs. Gregg Williams: If you have been confused by the Seahawks’ defense sometimes when they bring out 6 or 7 defensive backs, the Saints’ defense won’t make much more sense. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams loves to move around his safeties pre-snap to confuse the quarterback and make him not know where they are going to be. A DB will be on the line of scrimmage, but right before the ball is snapped, that player will sprint 15 yards backwards to convert back to a safety position. Hasselbeck knows Williams will do this, and could exploit this strategy by changing up the play at the line of scrimmage in hopes of catching the DBs off guard. That’s easier said than done in the noisy Superdome.

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Russell Okung vs. Will Smith: The number one thing teams want to do on the road is establish the run. If the Seahawks fail to do that, this matchup will become the most important. Barring any further setbacks, Russell Okung should start at left tackle for the Hawks with Will Smith lined up across from him. Smith is the Saints best pass rusher, and if Okung can hold him, Matt Hasselbeck should have plenty of time to make good decisions.

Jonathan Vilma vs. Marshawn Lynch: As you might know, Marshawn Lynch is a physical runner (duh). But the man who will be conducting the defense on the field, Jonathan Vilma, is also very physical. Vilma is one of the most underrated players in the NFL, and one of the league’s best tacklers. Jonathan won’t necessarily be tracking Lynch the whole game, but he will be the one communicating to his fellow linebackers where they should be to cover Lynch and stuff like that.

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Reach Nathan Parsons at nathanparsons98@yahoo.com