Buffalo N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - For the first time since 2016 and just the second time in the last 23 years, the Buffalo Bills will be playing a road game against the Seattle Seahawks.
It is also the first of two road trips out West for the Bills, as they will later visit the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14 on Dec. 8.
The Seahawks are 4-3 and sitting atop the NFC West through the first seven weeks of the season. After a 3-0 start, Seattle lost three-straight games before recording a 20-point win in Atlanta last Sunday over the Falcons.
However, star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, who is third in the NFL in receiving yards and 11th in catches, suffered a grade 1 MCL sprain, leaving his availability for Sunday's game in doubt.
Metcalf is a big reason why Seattle quarterback Geno Smith leads the league with 1,985 passing yards over his first seven games. The former New York Jets quarterback has thrown for eight touchdowns and been intercepted six times.
Smith has been under pressure quite a bit this season. While he is among the league leaders in drop backs per-game with more than 40, Smith has been pressured on 40% of those drop backs. That is the fourth-highest rate in the NFL.
However, Smith can use his legs to get out of trouble, as he's averaging 6.4 yards per-carry on 25 rushes.
Part of the pass protection problem stems from the fact that the Seahawks have been banged up at right tackle. (Hello, Greg Rousseau!) They were playing third-stringer Stone Forsythe, who has one of the highest rates of pressures given up in the league. Forsythe actually missed the game against the Falcons, and Seattle had to start rookie Michael Jerrell.
Seattle also uses a rotation at right guard with a pair of players splitting reps.
Even if Metcalf is out, the Seahawks still have wide receivers Tyler Lockett (30 catches, 384 yards) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (37 catches, 319 yards), as well as tight end Noah Fant (24 catches, 263 yards).
The Seahawks have leaned on their passing game thus far, but one wonders if they might try to run the ball a bit more against a Bills run defense that has been inconsistent.
The stats are still a little skewed by their disastrous performance in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens, but the Bills are yielding an average of 132 rushing yards a game, and a too high yards per-carry average of 5.0.
Seattle has a very talented running back in Kenneth Walker III, who has 303 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
Defensively, Seattle is ranked 19th in scoring, 28th in rushing yards per-game, and 13th in passing yards per-game.
The Seahawks' run defense has definitely been a weak point, which means it could be a big day for the likes of James Cook, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson.
But keep in mind, the Seahawks are dealing with a slew of injuries in their secondary, and have one of the lowest totals of passes defended and interceptions made in the NFL. They have just four picks on the season, with only two coming from cornerbacks.
Speaking of passing, perhaps the second half against the Tennessee Titans this past Sunday marked the turning point for the Bills' passing game.
Rookie Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir and newly acquired Amari Cooper combined for 13 catches on 15 targets for 206 yards and a touchdown. Josh Allen threw for 323 yards, his first 300-plus-yard passing game of the season.
Allen's decision making has been much better this season as well. The Bills quarterback has 12 touchdown passes and a career-best streak of seven-straight games without a pick.
The Bills are the only team in the league that has yet to throw an interception this season.
This will be Allen's second-career game against the Seahawks, but his first in Seattle.
Back in 2020, Allen torched Seattle by completing 31-of-38 passes for 415 yards and three touchdowns in a 44-34 victory at Highmark Stadium. Allen played with a heavy heart that day, as his grandmother Patricia had passed away the day before the game.
Allen has traditionally fared well against NFC competition, winning 11 of his last 13 starts, and 21-of-27 games in his Bills career. He has 76 total touchdowns in those 27 starts.
Lumen Field in Seattle is considered one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, and that could present a problem for the Bills offense, which has been flagged for 12 false starts in the first seven games. That is one shy of their total from all of last season.
As for special teams, Brandon Codrington has turned out to be a nice pickup by Bills general manager Brandon Beane. Codrington is sixth in the NFL in punt returns with an average of 10.5 yards. He's only returned four kickoffs this year, but has a strong 32.5-yard average on those returns.
Seattle has struggled with their coverage units, as they are 30th in kick coverage and 22nd in punt coverage.
If the Bills win on Sunday, they will be 6-2 after the first eight games of the season for the third time in the Sean McDermott era. They also sccomplished that feat in 2022 and 2020.
