The Seattle Seahawks travel to Atlanta this weekend looking to finally end their three-game losing streak. They want to get back on track against the Falcons, who have won three times in a row after starting the season with one win and two losses.
“We’re excited,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “The boys know that we have a great chance against Atlanta to end our negative streak. We have a record of 3-3, haven’t played our best game recently, but felt like we could win every game at some stage . We have the opportunity to become a first-class team.”
For the second time this season, two new head coaches will meet in a Seahawks game: Raheem Morris took the helm in Atlanta this season, a week before Seattle signed Macdonald.
Here are five factors to keep in mind for Sunday’s game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium:
1. Can the short break after a brutal three-game stretch help the Seahawks turn things around?
The Seahawks players had a weekend off after last Thursday’s game – after three games in 11 days. And the break was not only a welcome opportunity to recover and reset after the aforementioned series of defeats, but also the perfect time for physical recovery.
After a candid conversation on Monday in which the issues that have plagued the team recently were addressed, the players are happy with the current state of things despite the recent defeats.
“I’m so excited for this week and the way we’re approaching this game week. All the guys are really into it,” said quarterback Geno Smith. “We had some really brutal meetings. Coach Mike Macdonald was very honest with us, and that allowed all of us to be honest as well. That was something that really helped us this week.”
Geno Smith was complemented by wide receiver DK Metcalf: “Monday was a very necessary team meeting where Mike [Macdonald] simply told us the truth: We only harm our team through penalties, ball losses and poor defense.”
A key takeaway from Monday, according to safety Julian Love, is that despite recent losses, the Seahawks feel like they’re close to turning things around.
