Odds favour Seattle
The numbers and streaks don’t point to a Buffalo Bills victory Monday night at Seattle.
First, the Seahawks haven’t lost at Century Link Field on MNF in their last seven appearances. What’s more, at home they’re 3-0 this season and 35-4 (.897) since 2012.
Secondly, the Bills haven’t won on Monday night anywhere since Oct. 4, 1999 — the last year they made the NFL playoffs. Buffalo has lost five times on Mondays since then. At least the last four losses were close: by one, two, one and seven points. This year Buffalo (4-4) would like to reroute the above trends by dumping Seattle (4-2-1) before heading into a much-needed bye week.
The Seahawks are hungry to get back on the winning track, after a miserable 6-6 tie at Arizona and a frustrating 25-20 loss at New Orleans.
On Saturday, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said his team had “three great days of practices.” this past week.
“I think these might have been the three best back-toback-to-back days we’ve had,” he said. “I can’t really tell you why, but the intensity and energy was there, maybe because Russell (Wilson) was really at his best, and Jimmy (Graham) was at his best.”
It’s no secret that Seattle’s offence has been a huge disappointment this season. Wilson, the team’s quarterback since its 2012 renaissance, has battled knee and ankle injuries. They’ve limited his elusiveness in the pocket.
Carroll said Wilson looked much more like himself in practices this week. “There’s no question.” The last time these teams played — in the second-last Bills-in-Toronto game in December 2012 — Wilson, a rookie then, became the first NFLer to rush for three touchdowns and throw for 200 yards in a game.
Defensively, the Seahawks are playing perhaps as well as they have since their 2013 Super Bowl championship season. Holding the Arizona aerial attack to two field goals over five quarters is testament to that.
To similarly corral the diverse Bills rushing attack, Seahawks defenders must play disciplined football — one blown responsibility and Buffalo’s shifty running back LeSean McCoy or quarterback Tyrod Taylor could rip off a big-gainer.
Whether McCoy can play, and play effectively, remains in doubt. He has battled a hamstring injury for three weeks, didn’t play in last week’s loss to New England and was listed as questionable.
The Bills defence will be weakened by the loss to injury of two defensive tackles: Marcell Dareus (groin) and Corbin Bryant (shoulder).