Falcons vs Seahawks: Odds, injuries, TV, top matchup vs Seattle

The Atlanta Falcons (1-6) will face the tough Seattle Seahawks (5-2) and will likely have to do it without quarterback Matt Ryan.

After being dominated by the Los Angeles Rams in Mercedes-Benz Stadium last week, the Falcons will have to face yet another quality NFC West opponent in the Seattle Seahawks. The Falcons are trying to manage just their second win of the season, while Seattle is trying to keep pace with division-leading San Francisco.

Falcons head coach Dan Quinn will be facing his old team. Seattle leads the overall series with the Falcons, 10-8-0, but Atlanta has won three of the last five meetings, including two playoff games. Quinn is 2-1 against his former employer.

Falcons vs Seahawks Gameday Info via AtlantaFalcons.com

When: Sun, Oct. 27, 1:00 p.m. ET
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
TV: FOX
TV Announcers: Play-by-play – Sam Rosen, color analyst – Ronde Barber, sideline reporter – Sara Walsh
Radio: 92.9 The Game
Stream: FuboTV
Radio Announcers: Play-by-play – Wes Durham, Color analyst – Dave Archer

Good seats still available at StubHub.com

Falcons vs Seahawks: Betting Odds and Lines

The Seahawks are currently 7-point favorites, courtesy of The Action Network, with the over/under sitting at a consensus 53 points. Most of the public money is being placed on the under, with the Falcons offense facing some huge questions this week.

If Matt Schaub is forced into action at quarterback, it will completely change how Atlanta’s offense operates and will cause offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to go into a more conservative play-calling mode. It’s hard to believe the Falcons offense could be any more inept than it was last week, but that’s what fans may very well see.

On the other side of the field, the Seahawks offense, led by MVP candidate Russell Wilson, is operating at peak efficiency. The sieve-like Falcons defense will probably give little resistance. Once the Seahawks go up big (which is likely) they’ll move to pounding the ball and eating clock.

Falcons Injury Report

Obviously, the biggest injury concern for Atlanta is starting quarterback Matt Ryan, who suffered an ankle sprain in the loss to the Rams. According to AtlantaFalcons.com, Ryan was once again held out of practice on Thursday, but did participate in limited practice on Friday. His status for the game against Seattle is still questionable, and likely a game-time decision. It doesn’t seem necessary for a 1-6 team to risk further injury to the one guy who’s been doing this job this season.

Other Atlanta players on the injury report: OG James Carpenter (knee), CB Desmond Trufant (toe), RB Ito Smith (concussion) are all out for the game. DT Grady Jarrett (abdomen) has no status listed, but was limited in Friday’s practice.

Seahawks Injury Report

Despite their good record, the Seahawks have been ravaged by injuries this season. Seattle had 13 different players who either did not practice or were limited in practice this week. Four of those players were safeties or corners — Lano Hill, Bradley McDougald, Quandre Diggs, and Tre Flowers. That could mean a thin secondary for the Seahawks in this game.

The Seahawks primary offensive weapon other than Wilson, wide receiver Tyler Lockett, was able to participate in full practice on Thursday, so the beleaguered Atlanta secondary can expect to see him on the field.

Falcons vs Seahawks Top Matchup

Normally the Atlanta receiving corps against Seattle’s secondary would get top-billing in this game, but with Matt Ryan’s status being unsure for the game and dependable wide receiver Mohamed Sanu now wearing a Patriots uniform, the results might fall more in the trenches.

The Falcons defensive line will need to figure a way to generate some pressure on Russell Wilson (and the linebackers will need to keep him from scrambling into the secondary). Seattle’s offensive line has shown to be vulnerable at times this year, and Atlanta’s two primary pass-rushers need to step up.

Vic Beasley and Takkarist McKinley both realize the burden is on them to help change the face of the defense. The Falcons have not recorded a sack in four straight games. Quinn may opt to return Beasley to the line instead of dropping him into coverage as he did against the Rams. Some creative blitz packages that haven’t been utilized could be what’s needed to snap the streak.