What to look out for in the Seahawks game against Miami

These storylines, matchups and players will be in focus when the Seahawks host the Dolphins on Sunday. Seahawks.com

The Seahawks improved to 2-0 with a win at New England last week, and now they return to Seattle to face another AFC East opponent, the Miami Dolphins. Led by head coach Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins bring one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses to Lumen Field, providing a good test of the Seahawks and head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense.

“They do a phenomenal job,” Macdonald said of McDaniel’s offense. “The stats are telling, they’re very well coached. We’re talking elegance, simple, it’s easy for the quarterback, the different approaches in the run game, the speed on the field and how they get all their playmakers involved. They play incredibly fast. They do a great job. But every week it’s about having a solid game plan that we really have to execute because the looks are always different from week to week. Being able to adjust to different things and adapt quickly. We’ve got a challenge ahead of us.

Here are five things to watch for in Sunday’s game against the Dolphins:

1. How does the Seahawks pass defense fare against the Dolphins’ explosive offense?

The Seahawks defense has been very strong against the pass in the first two games, allowing just 257 passing yards, the second fewest in the NFL, with just one passing touchdown and two interceptions allowed. But the Seahawks’ defensive backfield has been so good, they have yet to face opponents like Miami. The Dolphins challenge defenses in a unique way with their speed and agility, led by All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill, one of the league’s most explosive weapons.

“A lot of fast guys, a lot of shifts and movements to mislead your eyes; those two things together can create problems,” safety Rayshawn Jenkins said. “Every week in the NFL is a new challenge, so we look at it as a new opportunity, a new challenge. We’re going up against a different style of offense, so we have to adjust the game plan a little bit and that’s it.”

What will be particularly exciting in this game is every duel between Hill and Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen, two of the fastest players in the league.

“That’s a lot of speed, man,” Jenkins said. “It’s definitely going to bring out the best in both players. Both are going to have a challenge.”

The Seahawks know that it is unrealistic to keep an explosive offense like the Dolphins’ completely in check, but they see two strong teams facing each other in the game and think they have a good chance.

“We have different guys that bring different skill sets,” Jenkins said. “If you have a fast guy, we have a fast guy. If you have a strong guy, we have a strong guy. If you have guys that can move laterally well, we have guys that can move laterally well. I think we match up really well because we have so much versatility in the secondary.”

2. Can the Seahawks get better in and against the run game?

Any football coach will tell you that the running game is a critical factor on both sides of the ball, and Macdonald is no exception. While he’s happy to have a 2-0 record, Seattle’s coach wasn’t thrilled to see his team allow 185 rushing yards while only rushing for 46 yards. There’s more to this story than just the numbers, to be sure. The Seahawks were without their starting running back Kenneth Walker III, and the Patriots defense places a heavy emphasis on stopping the running game, which explained Seattle’s big day in the passing game.

But regardless of the circumstances, the Seahawks defense knows that 185 yards is not acceptable, just as the offense knows that getting the running game going would help take some pressure off Geno Smith and the passing game.

“It’s making us angry,” defensive tackle Jarran Reed said of the Patriots’ numbers. “We have to be much better than that. We’re a better team, a better unit. We’re going to get better.”

On offense, getting Walker back would obviously help, but regardless of whether he can play this week or not, the Seahawks want to see more firepower on the line.

“We have to move people, man,” Macdonald said. “We’re not doing that right now. That’s the challenge we have to address going forward.”

3. Which receiver will make a big impact for Seattle this time?

In the Seahawks’ season opener, veteran receiver Tyler Lockett had a strong performance, leading the team with six catches for 77 yards, including a crucial third-down catch that secured the win against the Broncos. A week later, Lockett had just two catches, but one of them was hugely important, as it was caught in overtime on the game-winning drive. Despite that, Geno Smith had an impressive day, completing 12 passes to Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 117 yards and 10 to DK Metcalf for 129 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown. Lockett was still crucial in that game, as he provoked some key pass interference calls, in addition to his 16-yard catch in overtime. What this Sunday made clear, however, is how many different weapons Smith has at his disposal in the passing game, which makes it extremely difficult for opposing defenses.

To date, Metcalf has often been covered by the opposition’s top cornerbacks, and that could be the case again this week with Jalen Ramsey. But the strength of Seattle’s passing game is that even when a team is particularly focused on Metcalf or another receiver, there are still other options at receiver, tight end or running back that can make life difficult for an opposing defense.

“We’re really blessed with the guys we have here as far as their skills, and I think that puts a lot of pressure on the defense,” offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said. “When they try to shut down a player, it becomes pretty obvious. When a player gets double-covered or they try to take someone out of the play, you know that’s going to open up other avenues. Geno understands that well and knows when to focus on one player and when to focus on another.

4. How will Geno Smith perform this week against a familiar defense?

Geno Smith’s first pass attempt of the season was intercepted because he was hit while throwing. But since that turnover on the first drive, Seattle’s quarterback has been nearly flawless. Last Sunday in particular, Smith put on an impressive performance, even by the high standards he set over the past two Pro Bowl seasons. He completed 33 of 44 passes for 327 yards and a touchdown on a day when the Seahawks were only able to rush for 46 yards. Most importantly, Smith twice saved the game: he led a drive to tie the game at the end of regulation and a drive to win in overtime.

For his teammates, it was just another example of why Smith should be given more respect. “You’ve been calling this guy underrated for three years, when is it going to stop?” DK Metcalf said. “He’s not underrated in any way. He’s an NFL quarterback, just like the other 31 quarterbacks in the league. The label ‘underrated’ should no longer be used. He’s very successful at what he does. He led us to a playoff appearance and we got back there quickly last year. But we as a team just need to play better and help him more offensively.”

The Seahawks hope they don’t have to rely as heavily on the passing game this week – see the point about the running game – but they also know that if another big play from Smith is needed, the veteran QB is ready.

This week, Smith faces the challenge of facing a defense that closely resembles his own in practice. The Dolphins defense is led by Anthony Weaver, who served as defensive line coach in Baltimore before taking the job in Miami.

Macdonald noted that while Weaver’s defense is not an exact copy of what the two worked on in Baltimore, it still has many similarities.

“We’ve only seen two games from them on tape so far, but we’ve practiced against a similar defense for a long time,” Smith said. “You can expect them to bring some things that have given us trouble in practice and any offense can cause problems. But they’ll also have things we haven’t seen yet. The most important thing is that we’re all on the same page, know what we’re seeing. Then it’s just a matter of going out there and beating the defense on game day.”

Adding to the familiarity is the presence of inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who signed with the Dolphins this offseason after four years with the Seahawks.

“It’s going to be fun,” Smith said. “We’ve always valued Jordyn here. He’s always been a great player. We know what he can do. He’s a fast, tough linebacker, strong in coverage and reads offenses well. But Jordyn is going to do his thing, and our job is to score points no matter who’s on the field. We still value him here, but we have to do what we have to do.

5. Can the Seahawks pass rush make life difficult for the Dolphins’ backup quarterback?

With starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on the injured reserve list due to a concussion, the Dolphins start with Skylar Thompson, a 2022 seventh-round pick who has made three starts in his career (including playoffs).

The Seahawks know that they cannot underestimate opponents in the NFL, especially not a quarterback in the McDaniels system who plays with the weapons that Miami has on offense. Nor are they going into the game arrogant just because a backup quarterback is starting.

However, Macdonald noticed a difference between the two Miami quarterbacks: Thompson held the ball higher and tried to extend plays, unlike Tagovailoa, who gets rid of the ball quicker. “Thompson holds the ball a little longer than Tua,” Macdonald said. “Tua played really fast, the ball came pretty quickly and accurately. Thompson has the same ability, but he tried to extend the play more often, and that’s something to watch out for more than with Tua.”

While a quarterback willing to extend plays can create great opportunities for the offense, it also creates more opportunities for the pass rush. And the Seahawks have done a good job of putting pressure on their regular quarterbacks so far.

The Seahawks have recorded five sacks through two games, which ranks them mid-15th in the league. But that doesn’t tell the whole story of the pass rush. Despite a blitz rate of just 22.2%, which ranks 22nd in the NFL, the Seahawks are third in quarterback pressures with 31, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, and they rank sixth in quarterback pressure plays (38.3%).

The Seahawks are hoping their pass rush, along with the loud fans in the stadium, can make life difficult for the young quarterback. “I think it’s going really well,” defensive lineman Leonard Williams said of the pass rush. “In camp, we knew we had a lot of guys that could pressure from anywhere along the D-line. I think we’re doing a good job of utilizing each individual’s strengths, and as players, we’re also learning to play better with each other.”