Three numbers to know as Seahawks host Dolphins

Here’s a number you’ll like: 74%.

Seattle Seahawks could have a big development brewing at CB

Relax, Mariners fans. This isn’t about to be a play on last year’s front office gaffe. Instead, this is about NFL teams that start the season 3-0.

Those teams have made the playoffs 74% of the time, per DraftKings, and 42 teams to start the season 3-0 have reached the Super Bowl.

Granted, Seattle’s interior offensive line struggles through two weeks and the potential that defensive run game issues will still arise are keeping me from betting that this team makes a deep playoff push. But that’s OK! This is a team that only made the playoffs once in the last three seasons and brought in a brand-new coaching staff. And I’d love to be wrong here.

The good news is that in a 17-game season, three games are impactful; it won’t tell you the complete story of a team, but it can let a team with issues buy itself wiggle room.

Conversely, it’ll let a banged-up team or a team off to a slow start dig a hole it may not get out of. This matters for Seattle too, with the Rams (0-2) about to face off against the heavily favored San Francisco 49ers. The Rams were favored over Seattle to finish second in the division and had all the pieces for a stellar offense. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, many of those pieces are hurt; wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puca Nacua, and offensive linemen Joseph Noteboom and Steve Avila, are all sidelined with injuries, with the latter three on the injured reserve.

The Seahawks haven’t won this one, though. So, let’s not jump the gun. We also know this is a team that has struggled against backup passers in years past. With that said, here are two more numbers that matter ahead of Seattle’s Week 3 matchup against the Miami Dolphins:

3

Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) remains on the injured reserve, which means Seattle will face backup Skylar Thompson. Thompson has three starts over his career since being selected in the seventh round out of Kansas State, plus another game against the Jets that saw him get plenty of time.

In the regular season he threw for 614 yards, one touchdown and three picks. His single playoff start was a bit more forgettable: 18-for-45 (40%) for 220 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked four times in that game.

The point is that while Seattle has been burned by backups before (look no further than Mason Rudolph and the Steelers in a loss from December last season), this isn’t a passer who has a lot of experience, nor one who’s had a week or two to get his feet wet leading into this matchup. That means there’s opportunity for a Seattle pass rush that’s been bringing plenty of pressure. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Mafe has generated 14 pressures through two weeks (Pro Football Focus has him at 15, second only to Aidan Hutchinson) and could be poised for a strong performance.

Most pressures through two weeks

Aidan Hutchinson 17
Boye Mafe 15
Micah Parsons 14
Zach Allen 13
Chris Jones 13
Yaya Diaby 12
Jonathan Greenard 12
Trey Hendrickson 12@PFF

— Steve Palazzolo (@StevePalazzolo_) September 16, 2024

4.3

No game is a cake walk in football.

The Dolphins still have a brilliant play caller and the league’s speediest skill position players on their side. That includes Tyreek Hill and running back De’Von Achane, both with a combine 40-yard-dash time of 4.3 seconds. Hill has already accounted for the fourth longest play of the year: an 80-yard touchdown with 54  yards after the catch.

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