FLOWERY BRANCH — Seattle, which has the NFL’s top passing attack, got off to a fast start this season under first-year coach Mike Macdonald, but has fallen on hard times.
In an NFC matchup, the Falcons (4-2) are set to host the Seahawks (3-3) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes Benz Stadium.
Macdonald, who played baseball and football at Centennial High in Roswell, also interviewed for the Falcons’ head-coach position before landing his current job.
Macdonald started his coaching career at Cedar Shoals High in Athens.
He was a graduate assistant and quality-control assistant at Georgia before landing an internship with the Ravens. He was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator last season.
The Seahawks beat Denver (26-20), New England on the road (23-20) and Miami (24-3) to open the season. Since, they have lost games to Detroit (42-20) on the road, the Giants (29-20) and San Francisco (36-24).
The Seahawks, who pass for a league-leading 276.7 yards per game, are led by quarterback Geno Smith who has a nice trio of receivers in D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The ground game is led by running backs Kenny Walker and Zach Charbonnet.
The Falcons met Seattle’s offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb during the pre-draft process as they were doing their scouting of former Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Grubb was the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Washington in 2022 and 2023 before joining Macdonald with the Seahawks.
“He’s had a lot of success early on with his offense,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “Geno’s been playing great the last couple of years. (He’s) kind of really bounce back (from a slow start) to his whole career.”
Metcalf is listed at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds. He’s caught 31 passes for 469 yards and two touchdowns. He’ll likely see Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell when they play man-to-man defense.
Lockett has 26 catches for 339 yards and a touchdown. Smith-Njigba leads the team with 34 receptions and has 310 yards and a touchdown.
“DK Metcalf’s been a physical force in the league for a while,” Morris said. “Tyler Lockett’s been a pain in my neck forever it feels like (with) his ability to catch the ball and make big-time plays. Their new slot in (Smith-Njigba). He’s been able to come out there and have (some) success. He’s a really good football player.”
Walker, a former Wake Forest and Michigan State standout, has rushed 51 times for 284 yards and five touchdowns. Charbonnet has rushed 49 times for 187 yards and three touchdowns.
“They (have) two running backs who can play,” Morris said. “They (have) a lot of offensive weapons. They (have) a tough offense to deal with when you talk about their offensive personnel.”
Defensively, the Seahawks are stout upfront with ends Leonard Williams (6-5, 300), Jarren Reed (6-3, 306) and nose tackle Jonathan Hankins (6-3, 325).
“He’s been a force wherever he’s been,” Morris said of Williams.
The Seahawks made a deal with the Jaguars on Monday to bolster the depth of their defensive line. They picked up veteran defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris in a trade. Robertson-Harris, 31, has appeared in 106 NFL games and made 62 starts.
Seattle’s has as solid secondary. Their pass defense gives up 195 yards per game, which ranks 10th in the league.
“They have one of the best young corners in (Devon) Witherspoon,” Morris said. “In my opinion, he’s a stud. He can go inside, play outside, do a bunch of different things.”
Morris also is impressed with cornerback Riq Woolen, who’s 6-4, 210.
Former Falcons assistant coach Aden Durde (2016-20) is Seattle’s defensive coordinator.
Seattle also has strong special-teams units. Returner Laviska Shenault Jr. returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown against the 49ers.
This will the 20th regular-season meeting between the Falcons and the Seahwks. The Seahawks lead the series 12-7. The Falcons won the last meeting 27-23 on Sept. 25, 2022, in Seattle.
“So, we got our hands full,” Morris said.
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