Good morning, Seattle Seahawks fans! Just a few hours until kickoff of Seattle’s Week 3 showdown against the Miami Dolphins. I know we haven’t done a predictions post like we usually do, so I’m going to change that up and go in a different direction. There will be a game pick, but there will be some other predictions as well.

The The Seahawks Defense will force Skylar Thompson to lose at least one turnover

Seattle’s defense had two interceptions of Bo Nix (it could easily have been five or six… hey, that rhymes!), but couldn’t get anything done against Jacoby Brissett. There weren’t many opportunities to intercept Brissett, and none of the sacks resulted in a fumble. Skylar Thompson had seven turnovers in 190 snaps (including postseason). He’s not a particularly accurate quarterback and has a habit of holding the ball too long.

It’s time to chase the ball again! Skylar loses the ball at least once and if the Dolphins are forced to play a one-dimensional offense, we may be in for a day full of turnovers.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba will score his first touchdown of the season

The only thing JSN didn’t do last week was get into the end zone. He led the team with 12 pass catches and was second in yards (117) to DK Metcalf (129). Smith-Njigba’s generally quiet game against the Denver Broncos included a DPI (which is a no-play) and a catch that was taken away from him due to a Metcalf OPI. Add in the run-heavy game script, and the targets just weren’t there for JSN. In a more pass-heavy script, Smith-Njigba was as involved as he could be, and I expect more of the same.

It took Smith-Njigba until Week 7 to score his first touchdown of last season. He won’t have to wait that long this year. I just have a feeling…

DK Metcalf and Jalen Ramsey will get into an altercation on the field

Rivals meet again. This is the first time Ramsey has faced Metcalf since he was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Dolphins. Metcalf scored a game-winning touchdown against Ramsey in the 2022 season, but Ramsey was able to throw two interceptions and take him out in the return game. Metcalf had the last laugh in the win, defending Geno Smith when Jalen Ramsey was penalized for a late hit. In 2021, Metcalf scored a TD against Ramsey in the “Russell Wilson’s Broken Finger” game.

There’s a good chance Ramsey will shadow DK similarly to how Christian Gonzalez and Patrick Surtain II have done the past two games. Tensions will simmer and reach boiling point one way or another. Ideally, Metcalf won’t get a 15-yard penalty, but I think it’s inevitable that we’ll see some pleasantries exchanged between these two. Once again.

The run defense will improve but still has problems

This performance against the Patriots offensive line ages like milk considering how ineffective New England was against the New York Jets. Granted, the Patriots switched up the OL a bit more for the game against the Jets and that certainly played a role, but the Seahawks defensive line was generally inferior in the trenches on the run game.

Miami’s offensive line is very dependent on the health of left tackle Terron Armstead, who is good enough to play but not necessarily last the entire game. Still, the Dolphins should be a better OL than the Pats (on paper), and De’Von Achane is a legit speedster. Mike McDaniel is excellent at coming up with blocking schemes that can easily get yards to his backs, so if the Seahawks aren’t careful about their gap integrity, spacing, and tackling, Achane will have a field day. There could also be some surprises with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on jet sweeps, though surprisingly they haven’t gotten many handoffs over the years. Either way, Seattle needs to be prepared for Miami to attack the edges.

There is still something problematic about this run defense and while I think it will get better with Coach Macdonald’s adjustments and the fact that Achane isn’t as powerful as Rhamondre Stevenson, there will be some ugly moments that will lead to explosive plays and longer offenses.

The Seahawks will pull away in the 2nd half

For now, I don’t think the Seahawks can be trusted to crush most teams in the NFL and leave the fourth quarter as garbage time. This isn’t a Pete Carroll or Mike Macdonald thing, it’s a Seahawks thing. I expect this game to be too close for comfort due to the offensive line’s ongoing issues, not to mention the absence of Jerome Baker at linebacker. Boye Mafe’s health is also a concern, even if he plays. Miami is talented enough to keep the game exciting even without Tua Tagovailoa.

Still, a win is a win. I see this as similar to the game against the Broncos, except that there is no need for a decisive third down in the final minutes. Let’s assume a 27-16 win and a 3-0 start to the season. Geno Smith throws two touchdowns and Zach Charbonnet scores the other touchdown from close range.