2. Can one of the league’s best run defenses contain one of the league’s best running backs?
Of the many ways the Seahawks have changed since last year’s meeting between these two teams, one of the most significant has been the way they have improved defending the run. During a tough stretch that included five losses in six weeks, the Seahawks had a stretch in which they allowed 155 or more rushing yards to four straight opponents, including the Falcons.
This year, the Seahawks have had one of the stingiest run defenses in the league all season long, holding opponents to just 3.8 yards per carry, which ranks third in the league, and 88.8 rushing yards per game, which ranks second.
The Seahawks have also gone 21 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher, the longest active streak in the league. Keeping that impressive streak going against Falcons running back Bijan Robinson will not be easy, however.
In last year’s game, Robinson, one of the league’s most elusive backs, had 103 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, as well as three catches for 40 yards. Buffalo’s James Cook had 111 yards and two touchdowns the next week, and the Seahawks have not allowed a 100-yard rusher since.
After a Pro-Bowl 2024 season in which he rushed for 1,456 yards, Robinson has been even better this year, rushing for 995 yards and five touchdowns through 12 games while adding 594 receiving yards and two scores, putting him on pace to eclipse 2,000 scrimmage yards.
“I think they’ve actually activated him more in the pass game than we saw last year, which is an added challenge,” Macdonald said. “Sometimes it’s designed for him, sometimes it’s just in a checkdown game, screen game. He kind of comes alive in every aspect of the game, which is something we have to account for, but he’s a really talented player. He’s got great hands, he can track the ball, he’s got great vision, he’s got great acceleration, he leads the league in missed tackles, which probably paints a pretty good picture for you. He’s a really, really good player.”