The Seattle Seahawks finally recorded their first victory of the season with a thrilling 12-9 come-from-behind win over San Francisco on Sunday. Russell Wilson struggled throughout most of the contest, but his lone touchdown to Paul Richardson in the final quarter lifted the Seahawks to the all-important win. That score snapped Seattle’s streak of more than 112 minutes without a touchdown, despite missing on opportunities twice inside San Francisco’s 10-yard line earlier in the game.
The Seahawks faithful hope that that touchdown will help open the floodgates for the struggling Seattle offense. They’re averaging a measly 268.5 total yards this season. It’s crucial for Seattle that Wilson gets his groove back against Tennessee. He missed high on several throws and looked antsy even in clean pockets against the Niners. Wilson completed just 23 of 39 passes for 198 yards in the win against San Francisco.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though, for the Seahawks offense as they have unearthed another star in rookie Chris Carson. He got the majority of the work for the second consecutive week, gaining 93 yards on 20 carries against the 49ers. He will have his work cut out for him, however, against a Tennessee defensive line that allowed just 99 yards on the ground against Jacksonville on Sunday.
The Seahawks are 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS in their last five road games.
The Tennessee Titans’ early-season struggles didn’t last long. Marcus Mariota threw for 215 yards and a touchdown to lead the Titans to a straightforward 37-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. It was a huge bounce-back win by Tennessee who suffered a humiliating 10-point home loss to Oakland in the season-opener. The Titans’ offense finally exploded in the second half against the Jags, scoring 31 points on their first five possessions.
Derrick Henry was stunning in that final half, rushing for 87 yards and a touchdown. He finished with a career-high 92 yards on the ground. The Titans’ running game finally came to life against the Jags, recording 179 rushing yards and three scores. They will be licking their chops at the prospect of facing a Seattle defense that allowed 159 yards on the ground on Sunday against San Francisco.
That being said, Tennessee will need to play a perfect game to beat an elite team like Seattle. The Titans have lost six of the past seven games in the series. It’s paramount for the Titans to start out strong against the Seahawks. They have looked sluggish in the first half in each of the past two games. The onus then is on Mariota to set the tone for the Titans’ offense. He completed just 15-of-27 passes in the win against Jacksonville, finishing with a QB rating of 31.8. Another guy who needs to step up for Tennessee is DeMarco Murray. He rushed for just 25 yards on nine carries against the Jaguars.
The Titans are 4-1 SU and ATS in their last five home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Titans (-140) finally find a way to protect home field against the Seahawks. Tennessee wins, 24-20.
