After another sterling defensive performance in Week 4 against the Detroit Lions the Seattle Seahawks and the “Legion Of Boom” will face arguably their toughest test of the season on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Since the return of safety Kam Chancellor in Week 4 the Seahawks defense has been very impressive and look to be back to their best.
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The Seahawks shut out the Chicago Bears in Week 3 26-0 and held the Lions to just 10 points last week in a 13-10 win at CenturyLink Field.
The defense allowed a measly 256 yards in total offense against the Lions and an average of only 4.8 yards per offensive play.
Lions star receiver Calvin Johnson “Megatron was held to just 56 yards on seven receptions mainly by a combined effort from L.O.B corners Cary Williams and Richard Sherman, who both had good outings.
The Seahawks are ranked second in overall defense, fifth against the pass and seventh against the run and look set to battle it out for the top spot this season.
On Sunday the Seahawks defense will face-off against a Bengals offense that is ranked second in the league and is led by the league’s third best quarterback Andy Dalton who is on course for a 4,750-yard season.
The Bengals not only possess a prolific passing attack receivers A.J Green and Mohammed Sanu and tight end Tyler Eifert but they have also been very efficient on the ground with backs Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill.
Dalton has blown-up opposing defences recently and is throwing the deep ball at an extremely high level.
This is where the L.O.B is going to factor in a big way on Sunday in Cincinnati even though the Seahawks are yet to get an interception this season.
Teams have been scared of Seattle’s pass rush and have been using quick passes to nullify the pressure from the Seahawks front seven and to protect the ball.
The L.O.B are arguably the best secondary in the business and with the Bengals and Dalton throwing deep bombs they look set to have a big day.
Seattle corners Richard Sherman and Cary Williams have to keep Green and Sanu in check on Sunday, much like they did against Lions receivers Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate last week if the Hawks are going to slow down the Bengals.
They won’t have to do it all on their own as they will have help when needed from the best free safety in the NFL, Earl Thomas.
You may think what about standout tight end Eifert, who will cover him? If Thomas is helping out a corner, the Seahawks also have All-Pro middle linebacker Bobby Wagner who’s athleticism and speed makes him a top-notch cover guy.
The L.O.B has to dominate the Bengals in the secondary to allow the pass rush to get to Dalton, taking away the Bengals best weapons and forcing them to pound the rock. The Hawks’ front seven are solid against the run and haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher this season.
The Bengals are pretty stout themselves in run defense so look for the Seahawks to play the run to set up play action. Look for the Seahawks to win 24-13 led by a dominating defense and Russell Wilson’s arm.
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