The Seattle Seahawks dominated the Atlanta Falcons 37-9 on December 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Moreover, it was another excellent performance from the Seahawks’ defense that allowed the team to head to 10-3 on the season.
Atlanta’s offense had a miserable afternoon as the Seattle defense held them to 1 of 13 on third downs while picking off Kirk Cousins twice. Moreover, Seattle have only given up nine points in two games, so the defensive unit is hitting its stride as they push for the NFC West title.
Nonetheless, while the team might have its eye on edging out the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers for the division, former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman believes that this team should be setting its sights on a bigger prize.
“This game [against the Falcons] is a great example of why the Seahawks are considered the NFC favorites right now,” Sherman wrote on X on December 7. “They are complete! When the offense is struggling, the defense and special teams step up and make plays until they figure it out. Huge turnover forced by the defense following the TD by [Rashid] Shaheed.”
Seahawks’ Nick Emmanwori Puts on Amazing Game
One of the standouts from this win over the Falcons was rookie safety Nick Emmanwori. Emmanwori was already turning heads in his rookie season, but his Week 14 performance might have marked the peak of his young career so far.
The second-round pick showcased his athleticism in a remarkable display, including a blocked field goal. Late in the first half, he burst through a gap and leapt into the backfield to bring down running back Tyler Allgeier for a loss.
Moreover, in the third quarter, Emmanwori recorded his first career interception, diving to snag a deflected pass off teammate Devon Witherspoon.
“That was the first, just making an impact on special teams and on defense,” Emmanwori told reporters postgame. “That was the first time I had a game with all those types of plays… The past couple weeks, I’ve been close to blocking a field goal every game. So me and my special teams coach have just been working on a new practice—my get-off and just trying to find the best approach.”
Seahawks Defense Earns Praise for Performance Against Falcons
Seattle Sports’ Stacy Rost didn’t hold back in her praise of the Seahawks’ defense for the three turnovers the unit generated and for keeping Falcons star Bijan Robinson to only 86 rushing yards.
“Speaking of that defense, you could say something like, ‘you can’t always count on your defense to keep you in games,’ and that would be relevant… for a team whose defense hasn’t been one of the best in the league wire-to-wire, Rost wrote in a postgame column. “Seattle overwhelmed a struggling Falcons offense Sunday, forcing three turnovers and keeping a lid on Bijan Robinson.
“They’ve allowed nine points over two games. And they saw the returns of two key veterans, Julian Love and Jarran Reed… We’re heading into Week 15. The Seahawks know who they aren’t. But more importantly, they know who they are. And right now, that’s trouble for the rest of the league.”
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