The defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks (1-2) kicked their early-season blues last week, blanking the Chicago Bears 26-0 in front of their 12th Man faithful at CenturyLink Field. Now, their attention shifts to a Detroit Lions team (0-3) that may very well be in panic mode after a few miserable weeks to open the 2015 NFL regular season. Who's got the edge in this one? Check out our Detroit Lions vs. Seattle Seahawks Preview & Prediction.
Betting Line: Seattle by 9.5
What's At Stake:
The Seattle Seahawks will return to the forefront of everyone's minds when it comes to their status as contenders if they can put a similar hurting on the Lions as they did the Bears last week. If they lose, expect a week of absolute panic both in the Pacific Northwest and by NFL analysts portending the team's doom.
For the Lions, 0-3 is a huge hole to climb out of. 0-4 would be dang near impossible. Getting this one on the road could start a major roll for the team back to relevancy.
Key To The Game:
The Lions' run defense has been passable at best over the first three weeks of the regular season. They'll have a chance to upgrade that designation with Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch sidelined by a hamstring injury. Seattle's passing game is customarily put into the periphery by head coach Pete Carroll, and we don't expect him to shy away from loading up undrafted rookie Thomas Rawls and veteran Fred Jackson with plenty of carries.
The onus is on Detroit to exploit Lynch's absence and force Russell Wilson to drop back more than he's comfortable with. If they can, they have a chance.
What They're Saying About Detroit
Is Ameer Abdullah Ready For A Prime-Time Breakout?
The Importance Of Calvin Johnson, Stuffing Run On MNF
What They're Saying About Seattle
Pete Carroll Calls Thomas Rawls A "Heat-Seeking Missile"
Seahawks May Need Even More From Russell Wilson
Prediction: Seattle 20, Detroit 14
Detroit's offense is a mess right now. Seattle won't have it much better on Monday with Lynch out, but they still have the defense and the weapons elsewhere to outlast the Lions in a slog-fest. Take the Lions with the points.
What They're Saying About Seattle
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