The Seahawks and Cardinals are both playing tomorrow to finish .500 on the 2011 season.  That might not seem like much, but the Seahawks started this year 2-6 while the Cardinals started the year 1-6.  They are both playing their best football of the season right now, which could set up for a classic football game.  The Seahawks beat the Cardinals earlier this year, 13-10 in Seattle.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks have decided to hook their wagons to Marshawn Lynch and that is when the offense took off.  Look for Lynch to have a heavy workload this Sunday against a Cardinals’ D that is allowing 120.5 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry.  The Seahawks have not been passing the ball much lately as they are running out of healthy receivers.  That won’t stop them from passing when the have to in this game.  The Cardinals blitz a lot, so the O-Line is going to get challenged in this game.

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Cardinals are likely going to be more balanced than usual in this game.  That means that Beanie Wells is going to get 20-25 carries, so the Seahawks are going to have to be ready for him.  The Seahawks are giving up only 3.8 yards per carry, so they should be up to the challenge of dealing with Wells.  The Seahawks are going to have to get after John Skelton, because he makes a lot of mistakes with the football when under pressure.  The Seahawks will likely double Larry Fitzgerald the whole game and try to force Skelton to beat them by throwing the ball to Early Doucet and Andre Roberts.

PREDICTION:  CARDINALS 23, SEAHAWKS 20

The Seahawks are rolling right now as they have won three games in a row by a combined score of 99-41!  The Niners thumped the Steelers 20-3 in San Francisco last Monday Night, so they could be in for a let down today.  The Niners won 33-17 over the Seahawks in the season opener in San Francisco.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks aren’t going to change how they play football today.  Look for RB Marshawn Lynch to get a lot of carries against a Niners’ D that is allowing only 71.5 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry so far this year.  The Seahawks are going to need some WRs or TEs to step up today as they continue to lose players due to injury.  Tarvaris Jackson is going to be under a lot of heat in this game, so he’s going to have to make good decisions and get rid of the ball quickly.

When the 49ers have the ball:  The 49ers are going to come out running the ball with Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter.  That is good news for the Seahawks’ D as they only allow 3.7 yards per carry so far this year.  The Seahawks will get after Alex Smith, trying to force him into making some bad throws.  The Seahawks have 21 interceptions so far this year as they have a ballhawking secondary.

PREDICTION:  SEAHAWKS 16, 49ERS 14

The Seahawks have suddenly got hot as they have won two games in a row and four of their last five games.  The Bears have fallen on hard times as they have lost their last three games, scoring only 33 total points.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks have been relying more and more on RB Marshawn Lynch and his power running.  The Seahawks are likely going to hand the ball off to him 25-30 times this weekend against a Bears’ D that is giving up 101.7 yards rushing per game and 4.4 yards per carry.  Tarvaris Jackson has suddenly got hot along with Lynch, but he’s more of a game manager type QB.  When teams come up to stop Lynch, that’s when Jackson has been going over the top to WRs Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate.  The Bears are giving up 256.5 yards passing per game, so the Seahawks should have success when they do decide to throw the ball.

When the Bears have the ball:  The Bears’ offense has went into a shell due to QB Caleb Hanie’s inability to complete passes to his own team.  That means that they are going to be very run heavy with Marion Barber and Kahlil Bell splitting the workload.  The Seahawks did a good job of shutting down Steven Jackson last Monday Night, so they should be able to handle slowing down Barber & Bell this weekend.  If the Seahawks get a good pass rush on Caleb Hanie, they are going to pick off some passes this weekend.

PREDICTION:  SEAHAWKS 17, BEARS 13

The Seattle Seahawks are starting to play much better as they have won three of their last four games.  The Seahawks beat the Rams 24-7 in St. Louis, just three weeks ago.  The Rams have lost their last three games by a combined score of 73-27!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks are going to feed the ball to Marshawn Lynch this Monday Night.  He will be taking aim at a Rams’ D that is allowing a stunning 157.8 yards rushing per game and 5.0 yards per carry.  The Seahawks passing game will be built around playaction passes.  Tarvaris Jackson doesn’t have a favorite receiver, so look for him to spread the ball around to WRs Doug Baldwin, Ben Obomanu and Golden Tate in this game.

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams will likely be starting 27-yard old Tom Brandstater at QB and he would be making his NFL debut.  With that in mind, the Seahawks will focus on stopping Steven Jackson.  It won’t be easy, but the Seahawks are only giving up 3.7 yards per carry so far this year….so they should be up to the challenge.  The Seahawks will likely be coming after Brandstater with blitzes in his game as Rams’ QBs have already been sacked 43 times so far this year.  The Seahawks will also likely double team WR Brandon Lloyd and force Brandstater to beat him with his right arm throwing to someone else.

PREDICTION:  SEAHAWKS 23, RAMS 7

The Seattle Seahawks need to rebound from a tough loss at home last weekend to the Washington Redskins.  They have played solid football at home, so they might have a big effort tonight.  The Eagles are a very talented team that just hasn’t lived up to the hype this year.  They have lost three of their last four games.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks are going to ride Marshawn Lynch tonight.  He has been running really well lately.  If Lynch runs well tonight, it will help slow the Eagles’ pass rush and give Tarvaris Jackson a chance to make some plays downfield in the passing game.  WR Doug Baldwin is now the unquestioned go-to WR for the Seahawks, but the Eagles are going to give him a lot of special attention tonight.  So, Ben Obomanu, Golden Tate, Mike Williams and/or TE Zach Miller are going to have to step up in the passing game tonight.

When the Eagles have the ball:  The Seahawks will likely focus on stopping Lesean McCoy in this game.  The Seahawks  are only giving up 3.5 yards per carry this year, so they should be up to the task at hand as McCoy is playing with a toe injury.  The Seahawks will also need to contain Vince Young in the pocket, but, even if they don’t…he’s nowhere near the runner that Michael Vick is.  The Seahawks secondary should be able to make some plays against Vince Young, as he sometimes throws the ball up for grabs.

PREDICTION:  EAGLES 23, SEAHAWKS 17

The Seahawks are back on the right track as they have won their last two games.  The Redskins have lost 7 games in a row as their season is spinning out of control.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks are going to come out running the ball with Marshawn Lynch.  Lynch should have some success this week as the Redskins are giving up 117.3 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry.  If the Seahawks can establish the running game, Tarvaris Jackson might actually have enough time to throw the ball.  The Redskins are giving up 221.4 yards passing per game so far this year, so Jackson should be able to complete a decent amount of passes this weekend.

When the Redskins have the ball:  The Redskins are going to come out throwing the ball against the Seahawks.  The Seahawks are giving up 233.0 yards passing per game so far this year, so Rex Grossman could have a good game if his good version shows up and the Redskins give him time to throw the ball.  WR Santana Moss will be back giving the Redskins another solid option in the passing game.  The Redskins will try to get a running game going, but Roy Helu and Ryan Torain are going to have a hard time against the Seahawks, who are only giving up 3.5 yards per carry this year.

PREDICTION:  SEAHAWKS 20, REDSKINS 17

The Seattle Seahawks got a huge win at home against the Ravens last weekend.  They will have to guard against coming out flat tomorrow as they have not played well on the road this year.  The Seahawks are 1-4 on the road this year, where they have been outscored 111-69.  The Rams have played a lot better lately, winning two of their last three games and outscoring their opponents 57-52 in those games.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks have a lot of injuries along the offensive line.  So they will likely try to run the ball a lot and keep the passing game short.  Marshawn Lynch is a solid RB and he should find a lot of running room against a Rams’ D that is allowing 150.6 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry so far this year.  Tarvaris Jackson is likely going to have to roll the pocket, using his legs to buy some time to throw the ball.  This is the kind of game that the Seahawks could certainly use TE Zach Miller, if he would just step up.

When the Rams have the ball:  The Rams going to likely be a run first team with Steven Jackson this weekend.  The Seahawks have been solid against the run so far this year as they are allowing 106.4 yards rushing per game but only 3.6 yards per carry.  The Seahawks don’t have much of a pass rush, so they have to hope that DE Chris Clemons can get after Sam Bradford.  The Seahawks are giving up 243.0 passing yards per game, so Bradford is going to make some plays down the field if he has time to throw the ball.  The Seahawks will likely double cover WR Brandon Lloyd and dare Bradford to beat them by throwing to someone else.

PREDICTION:  RAMS 23, SEAHAWKS 20

The Seahawks have got whacked three games in a row by a combined score of 63-28.  The Ravens have won two games in a row.  The last time the Ravens beat the Steelers, they had a huge letdown the next week getting beat 26-13 by the Tennessee Titans.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks need to make sure that they run the ball enough to keep the Ravens’ defense honest.  Marshawn Lynch will have to butt heads with a Ravens’ D that is only allowing 86.8 yards rushing per game and 3.4 yards per carry so far this year.  The Seahawks’ O-Line is going to have a rough time against the Ravens, who already have 26 sacks so far this year.  With that in mind, Tarvaris Jackson is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly and let his receivers do a lot of work after the catch.  WRs Doug Baldwin, Sidney Rice and Ben Obomanu are going to have to be tough guys this weekend for the Seahawks.  The secret weapon could be Zach Miller for the Seahawks, as he has not done much to this point in the year.

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Seahawks are going to need to stop Ray Rice and Ricky Williams in this game and dare Joe Flacco to beat them with his arm.  The problem with that is the Seahawks don’t have much of a pass rush.  Flacco has some nice targets in WRs Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith, so the corners better be ready for the challenge.  The TEs will also need to be watched as Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta have been getting a lot of throws their way the last couple of weeks.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 24, SEAHAWKS 13

The Seahawks’ season in spinning out of control as they have lost their two games coming off their bye week by a combined score of 40-15!  The Cowboys got thrashed last weekend 34-7 at Philadelphia last weekend, so they might be in a bad frame of mind.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks first and foremost, will have to find a way to keep Cowboys’ OLB DeMarcus Ware (12 sacks) out of the backfield.   That will be likely easier said than done, as the Seahawks have already given up 28 sacks so far this year.  Tarvaris Jackson is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly this Sunday.  His WRs (Sidney Rice, Ben Obomanu and Doug Baldwin) are going to have to catch short passes and get yards after the catch for the Seahawks to have success throwing the ball this weekend.  They are also going to need Marshawn Lynch to have some success running the ball to give the offense some balance.

When the Cowboys have the ball:  The Seahawks are going to have to stop DeMarco Murray this Sunday.  The rookie has been running like crazy since joining the starting lineup for the Cowboys.  The Seahawks’ front seven has been outstanding against the run this year, allowing only 3.2 yards per carry, so they should be up for the challenge of stopping Murray.  Tony Romo’s favorite receiver this year has been TE Jason Witten.  Seahawks’ safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas should be able to deal with him.  The bigger problem is WRs Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson as the Seahawks have not been getting good play out of the corners this year.

PREDICTION:  COWBOYS 31, SEAHAWKS 13

The Seattle Seahawks’ offense was utterly pathetic last weekend against the Browns in Cleveland, where they lost 6-3!  The Seahawks are returning home, where they have played decent this year.  The Bengals are 2-1 on the road this year and they come into Seattle riding a 3-game winning streak.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks are likely going to have starting QB Tarvaris Jackson and RB Marshawn Lynch back this Sunday against the Bengals, and that is a really good thing after the offense’s lackluster performance last weekend.  The Seahawks have turned into a pass first team this year, because they don’t run the ball well and often fall behind early in games.  They need to find a way to protect the QB better, as Seahawks’ QBs have been sacked 23 times already this year!  If Jackson has time to throw the ball, he might be able to make some plays down the field to Sidney Rice and Doug Baldwin.  Marshawn Lynch is likely going to have a rough time tomorrow against a Bengals’ D that is only giving up 89.5 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry so far this year.

When the Bengals have the ball:  The Bengals likely aren’t going to test the Seahawks’ rushing defense too much tomorrow.  That’s because Bernard Scott and Brian Leonard will be trying to replace the suspended Cedric Benson.  The Seahawks are going to have to get after rookie QB Andy Dalton and force him into making some mistakes.  Dalton does have some impressive weapons in the pass game in A.J. Green, Jermaine Gresham and Jerome Simpson.  If he has time to throw the ball, he is going to make some nice throws down the field.

PREDICTION:  BENGALS 20, SEAHAWKS 16