The Seahawks shouldn't have too much trouble dismantling the Buccaneers at home starting off the 2007 season. I know that may sound like an oversimplified approach, but sometimes the facts are the facts, and the Seahawks - while not the elite team they were in 2005 when they reached the Super Bowl, are still worthy of some consideration as a contender. They'll use a conservative approach on defense, relying on man coverage in the secondary and interior penetration with their front seven - which should negate Gruden's plan to use Garcia strictly with three- and five-step drops.
Predicted Score: Seahawks 27, Buccaneers 17
Fantasy Focus Tampa Bay: What a gross offense last year. Seriously, can anyone convince me these guys have improved enough to put up points on a consistent basis this season? You know what might be the only good thing about Tampa's offense this year? Their defense is even worse. Its rapidly descending ranking is a ghost of its former status among the NFL elite and a mere shell of the blitzkrieg that gave them a Super Bowl title only a few moons ago. Sure, Joey Galloway's not a bad guy to have on your team, but he's not even a solid consensus #2 fantasy WR heading into '07. And will Cadillac's hyped navigation system be able to steer its way into NFL secondaries without a cohesive O-line that has proven it can effectively gel? I'm skeptical this week, and I'll be skeptical next week.
Start: Joey Galloway
Consider: Cadillac Williams, Jeff Garcia
Sit: Alex Smith, Michael Pittman, Maurice Stovall, David Boston, Matt Bryant
Seattle: This matchup is just what Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander and the rest of the Seahawks offense needs to get on the right track in '07. Their defense should also flourish and create a few turnovers. Realistically, we can expect a heavy dose of Alexander, a smattering of Branch, and an occasional Hackett bomb. Get those 'Hawks in there this week!
Start: Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander, Deion Branch, Josh Brown, Team Defense
Note: Team statistics are shown as the average per game
through Weeks 12 to 17 of the 2006 season after deducting the best
and worst value from the data set. The exception is yards per rush attempt, completion %, yards per
pass completion, yards per pass attempt and the NFL averages, which are each calculated based on
totals through Weeks 12 to 17 with no adjustment.
Defense Stats Comparison
TB Defense
SEA Defense
NFL Average
Points against
23.5
22.0
21.1
Rushing yards
123.5
143.0
123.7
Rushing yards per attempt
3.58
4.78
4.30
Completion %
58.4%
53.8%
60.0%
Passing yards
210.5
185.8
201.8
Passing yards per completion
12.02
12.08
10.67
Passing yards per attempt
7.02
6.49
6.40
INT return
0.5
0.8
1.1
Fumble recoveries
0.3
0.8
0.7
Sacks
1.8
0.8
2.2
Weather
Check the current weather forecast for Seattle from Weather.com.
Team vs. Team History
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Seattle Seahawks
Season
Week
Date
Vis
Home
Score
Winner
2004
2
2004-09-19
SEA
TB
10-6
SEA
2006
17
2006-12-31
SEA
TB
23-7
SEA
Note: Only playoff games from the
2004 and 2005 seasons are included in the team vs. team history.
Playoff games from seasons prior to 2004 are not currently included in the database.
