The Seattle Seahawks have won two out of their last three games and they had a bye last week, giving them two weeks to get ready to play the Browns.  The Browns have lost two games in a row and they have not beaten a team this year (the Dolphins & Colts) with a win yet in 2011.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  It’s up in the air as to who will be starting at QB in this game.  Tarvaris Jackson is trying to recover from a upper chest muscle strain and he’s coming around.  But, it’s more likely that Charlie Whitehurst will get the start under center.  The Browns are giving up 129.8 yards rushing per game but only 3.9 yards per carry so far this year.  It’s imperative that the Seahawks get Marshawn Lynch going in this game to give them balance on offense.  The O-Line will have to step up and protect Whitehurst/Jackson or the Seahawks are going to have a hard time winning this Sunday.  Seahawks’ QBs have already been sacked 20 times so far this year.  If the QBs have time to throw the ball this Sunday, Sidney Rice and Doug Baldwin could have good games.

When the Browns have the ball:  The Browns are going to be a pass first team this weekend with Montario Hardesty likely starting at RB.  The Seahawks only have 8 sacks so far this year, but they are going to have to find a way to get to Colt McCoy and force him into making some mistakes.  The Seahawks are giving up 268.2 yards passing per game so far this year, as they are having big time issues in the secondary.  McCoy will likely spread the ball around to Earl Little, Mohamed Massaquoi, Josh Cribbs and Ben Watson so the secondary is going to get tested a lot in this game.  Montario Hardesty is a decent back but he’s not a game breaker by any means.

PREDICTION:  BROWNS 21, SEAHAWKS 20

The Seattle Seahawks have played well the last two weeks, but those were home games.  The Seahawks are 0-2 on the road and they have been outscored by a combined score of 57-17 in those games.  The Giants have won 3 games in a row and they are 1-0 at home this year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks have not really tried to run the ball much this year, but they better do it this Sunday.  Marshawn Lynch will be taking aim at a Giants’ D that is allowing 116.5 yards rushing per game and 4.0 yards per carry so far this year.  The Seahawks need to establish a running game to keep the Giants’ defense honest.  If not, they are going to blitz like crazy and forced Tarvaris Jackson into some very bad situations.  The Giants already have 12 sacks this year and Jackson has been sacked 14 times!  Jackson will likely want to keep the passing game of the shorter variety with Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin and TE Zach Miller getting most of the looks.

When the Giants have the ball:  The Giants will likely come out throwing the ball like crazy in this game.  The Seahawks only have 5 sacks so far this year, so they better find a way to get pressure on Eli Manning, or he’s going to dice up the secondary.  WRs Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham are gonna spell trouble for the Seahawks’ D this Sunday.  That doesn’t mean that the Giants won’t run the ball some as Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs are going to get the ball and challenge the Seahawks are only giving up 3.2 yards per carry so far this year.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 27, SEAHAWKS 10

The Seattle Seahawks won the home opener last year in a hard fought 13-10 win over the Cardinals.  The Falcons are 0-2 on the road this year, so the Seahawks might have a decent chance of pulling an upset here.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks need to play a lot less conservative this week if they are going to have any chance of beating the Falcons.  That being said, the Seahawks should feed the ball a lot to Marshawn Lynch early in this game.  The Falcons are allowing 112.0 yards rushing per game (only 3.6 ypc), so Lynch might actually have a good game this Sunday.  Tarvaris Jackson has been sacked 14 times already this year, so it would be smart to start using shorter drops and for him to get rid of the ball faster.  They have not been using TE Zach Miller (5 rec, 41 yards, 8.2 avg) right and this game is the perfect opportunity to get him going in the passing game.  The Falcons are likely going to try to take Sidney Rice away and force Jackson to throw to someone else.

When the Falcons have the ball:  Matt Ryan of the Falcons as already been sacked 13 times this year, and the Seahawks are going to need to blitz and hit him in the mouth a few times.  If Ryan has time to throw the ball, the Seahawks could be in some trouble.  He likes to throw a lot of short stuff to TE Tony Gonzalez and WR Roddy White.  The safeties won’t be able to cheat up and help out on those two guys because of the speed of rookie WR Julio Jones.  The Seahawks are only averaging 3.1 yards per carry so far this year, so the front seven should be up to the challenge in dealing with RB Michael Turner.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 30, SEAHAWKS 14

The Seahawks are going to try to get the season back on the right track this Sunday in the home opener against the Cardinals.  The Seahawks swept the Cardinals by a combined score of 58-28 last year!  But, the Cardinals look revived offensively with Kevin Kolb at QB.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Cardinals are giving up 123.0 yards rushing per game and 4.0 yards per carry, so look for the Seahawks to try to get Marshawn Lynch going this Sunday.  Lynch has had a rough start this year with only 44 yards rushing on 19 carries (2.3 ypc) so far this year.  If the Seahawks can get the running game going, it will help them slow the Cardinals’ pass rush.  Tarvaris Jackson will need to get rid of the ball quickly this weekend as the Cardinals are sure to be blitzing as he has already been sacked 10 times this year.  Don’t be surprised if WR Mike Williams is a big part of the game plan this weekend as he caught 22 passes for 232 yards (10.5 avg) against the Cardinals last year.  The Seahawks also need to get TE Zach Miller more involved in the passing game this weekend and WR Sidney Rice might make his season debut.

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Cardinals are likely to come out throwing the ball against the Seahawks.  The Seahawks will need to blitz more this week, because if Kolb has time to throw the ball, he’s going to have a good game.  The Seahawks will likely try to double Larry Fitzgerald a lot in this game, with Earl Thomas helping out over the top.  Kolb also likes throwing the ball to WR Early Doucet and TE Jeff King, so the secondary is going to have to keep eyes on them.  Beanie Wells has rushed for 183 yards and 5.7 yards per carry so far this year, so the Seahawks are not going to be able to cheat with extra DBs with him on the field.

PREDICTION:  CARDINALS 27, SEAHAWKS 24

The Seahawks could be running into a buzzsaw this weekend as the Steelers are going to be in a nasty frame of mind after getting drilled 35-7 by the Ravens last weekend.  Still, the Steelers could have had a bad week or maybe the Ravens laid the framework on how to beat them.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks are likely going to try to come out running the ball against a Steelers’ D that allowed 170 yards rushing and 5.5 yards per carry last weekend against the Ravens.  Marshawn Lynch will likely have a heavy workload in this game, but Leon Washington and Justin Forsett will also likely get some touches.  The Seahawks’ O-Line is going to have to block much better for Tarvaris Jackson on passing downs, as he was sacked 5 times last weekend, against a likely heavy pass rush from OLBs James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.  Jackson could have success throwing the ball to rookie WR Doug Baldwin, WR Mike Williams and TE Zach Miller if he has time to throw the ball.  He must know where Steelers’ safety Troy Polamalu is at all times.

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Seahawks are going to have to blitz Ben Roethlisberger a lot this Sunday.  That means that OLBs Leroy Hill and Aaron Curry are going to have to ring up some sacks this weekend.  The Seahawks didn’t have any sacks against the 49ers last week.  The front seven are going to have to control Rashard Mendenhall because the secondary is going to have their hands full in dealing with Hines Ward, Heath Miller and Mike Wallace.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 27, SEAHAWKS 13

The Seahawks have made a lot of changes to the roster since  last year ended.  Now it’s time to see if they made good decisions on players or not and it all starts tomorrow in San Francisco.  Each of these teams blew out the other one on their home field.  That doesn’t bode well for the Seahawks tomorrow.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks are going to be without top wideout Sidney Rice tomorrow.  That means that they will try to be run based offensively.  That could be a problem as Niners’ inside linebacker Patrick Willis is one of the best at his position in all of football and he will be keying on Marshawn Lynch most of the game.  Still, the Seahawks have to at least try to run the ball to give the offense some balance.  The Seahawks’ passing game will likely be of the shorter variety tomorrow as they are having issues pass blocking due to the young right side of the OL.  Tarvaris Jackson will be looking for TE Zach Miller and WR Mike Williams quite often in this game.

When the 49ers have the ball:  Linebackers David Hawthorne, Leroy Hill and Aaron Curry better tighten up their chinstraps before this game starts, because the Niners are going to feed the ball to Frank Gore quite a bit tomorrow.  The Seahawks must also get pressure on Alex Smith as he is going to be really effective off play action if they have problems stopping Gore.  The matchup to really watch will be free safety Earl Thomas vs. TE Vernon Davis of the Niners.  The Seahawks’ corners and safeties need to hit the WRs of the Niners hard early in the game, as they have a few guys who get alligator arms.

PREDICTION:  49ERS 20, SEAHAWKS 13

Sure, the Seahawks might not deserve to be hosting a playoff game tomorrow, but I think they are going to bring it!  The Seahawks are 5-3 at home this year and I think the 12th man is going to give them some extra juice tomorrow.  The Saints beat the Seahawks 34-19 seven weeks ago in New Orleans.  If the Saints are over confident the Seahawks will have a really decent chance of an upset tomorrow.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks are going to likely come out running the ball against a Saints’ D that gave up 112.3 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry.  Marshawn Lynch will likely get most of the carries with crumbs from the table falling to Justin Forsett and Leon Washington.  If the Seahawks can get to the second level and get a hat on Jonathan Vilma, they should have a lot of success running the ball tomorrow.  If the Seahawks can keep DEs Alex Brown & Will Smith out of the backfield, Matt Hasselbeck could have some success throwing the ball.  Mike Williams & John Carlson will likely get most of the targets on the short passes with Ben Obomanu going up top on the deeper throws.

When the Saints have the ball:  The Seahawks need to get a good pass rush on Drew Brees or he’s going to likely shred up the secondary.  That’s because Brees moves the ball around to all of his WRs and TEs making it nearly impossible to double anyone.  The Seahawks really should consider playing at least a nickel defense most of this game because Reggie Bush & Julius Jones don’t scare the front seven one bit.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 24, SEAHAWKS 17

This is a winner take it all game.  The winner will be the NFC West Champion earning a home game against either the New Orleans Saints or Atlanta Hawks next weekend.  The Seahawks are 4-3 at home this year while the Rams are only 2-5 on the road.  So the Seahawks hope that Qwest Field will be really loud tomorrow night and act as the 12th man.  The Rams won the first meeting between these teams 20-3 in St. Louis earlier this year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  No matter which QB starts this game (Matt Hasselbeck or Charlie Whitehurst) the Seahawks are going to try to run the ball more than usual.  The Rams are giving up 111.3 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry so Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett should have some success.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see some Wildcat Formation with Michael Robinson running it either.  The Seahawks’ O-Line will have to step up in this game as the Rams have 43 sacks so far this year.  If Hasselbeck or Whitehurst have time to throw the ball, there are plays to be made as the Rams are giving up 225.7 yards passing per game.

When the Rams have the ball:  The Seahawks are going to have to focus on stopping Steven Jackson in this game.  That will be easier said than done as he is a very solid back who likes to run downhill.  The Seahawks need to get to Sam Bradford in this game to protect the secondary as the Seahawks are giving up 257.1 yards passing per game this year. 

PREDICTION:  SEAHAWKS 23, RAMS 20

The Seahawks have lost two games in a row and they have been pounded in four of their last five games.  But they head into this game in a tie for first place in the NFC West.  If they win out, they will win the NFC West.  The Buccaneers loss last weekend was costly.  They can still make the playoffs if they win out and get some help.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks should try to use the Lions’ gameplan from last weekend against the Bucs this Sunday.  That would call for Marshawn Lynch & Justin Forsett to get a lot of work against a Bucs’ D which is allowing 136.5 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry.  The Bucs don’t have much of a pass rush (20 sacks on the year) so Matt Hasselbeck should have time to throw the ball.  If he does, he’s going to take some deep shots to Mike Williams and Ben Obomanu.

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  The Buccaneers have been running the ball a lot lately so the front seven is going to have to stop LeGarrette Blount and Cadillac Williams.  Williams is also a good receiver out of the backfield for the Bucs so the LBs are going to have their hands full in this game.  The Seahawks are going to have to blitz heavily in this game because if Josh Freeman has time to throw the ball he’s going to have a lot of success against a Seahawks’ D that is allowing 259.0 yards passing per game.

PREDICTION:  BUCCANEERS 23, SEAHAWKS 20

The Seahawks are only 2-5 in their last seven games but they are still tied for first place in the NFC West with the Rams making this a “must win” game.  The Seahawks are 4-2 at Qwest Field so I expect them to bring their “A-Game” tomorrow.  The Falcons have won 7 games in a row as they have the best record in the NFC.  The Falcons are only 1 game ahead of the Saints in the NFC South so they also need this game, big time.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  In my opinion, I think the Seahawks should tighten up the chinstraps and run the football tomorrow.  The Falcons are giving up 107.2 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry so Marshawn Lynch, Justin Forsett and Leon Washington could have some success against them.  I would also use Michael Robinson as the QB in a Wildcat Formation.  The Seahawks need to control the clock if they really want to win this game.  Matt Hasselbeck threw 4 INTs last week against the 49ers and I think it would be a bad idea to have him lighting up the sky with passes in Seattle tomorrow.

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Falcons always come out running the ball with Michael Turner.  The Seahawks’ D will have their hands full trying to stop him.  The Seahawks better get to Matt Ryan a lot tomorrow, because if he has time to throw the ball he’s likely going to torch the secondary.  Teams have tried to double WR Roddy White all year long and Ryan still gets the ball to him as he has caught 99 passes for 1,219 yards (12.3 avg) with 7 TD grabs this year.  Ryan also likes to hit Tony Gonzalez and Michael Jenkins in the passing game so the Seahawks’ D is likely in trouble tomorrow.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 30, SEAHAWKS 17