1. Can the Seahawks contain Cincinnati’s explosive passing attack?
As Carroll referenced above, the Bengals pass-and-catch duo of Burrow and Chase was very impressive last weekend, with Burrow throwing for 317 yards and three touchdowns, all of which went to Chase, who had 192 yards on 15 receptions.
Burrow has battled a calf injury early in the season and didn’t look himself as the offense struggled, but he looked to be all the way back last week, with Chase, the No. 5 overall pick in 2021, the main beneficiary.
Making that duo particularly dangerous is their big-play ability, with Chase having caught seven touchdown receptions of 50 or more yards since he came into the league in 2021, the most in the NFL during that time. That total included a 63-yard touchdown last week. Burrow, meanwhile, has completed 18 touchdown passes of 40 or more yards since 2021.
“Joe Burrow is a terrific quarterback,” Carroll said. “He’s shown that over the years, his college days. He’s a big time QB. Their coach really loves to throw the football and utilize and trust him, and they have terrific receivers. Ja’Marr happens to be their top guy. You can’t have a bigger game than three touchdowns and 19 targets and all of that. All of the balls that he took to the house were phenomenal. They’re loaded, but that’s not all. Joe Mixon is a great player too, and he makes their running game. They just have everything that you need.”
The Seahawks like the growth they’ve seen from their secondary, especially since rookie Devon Witherspoon joined the lineup after missing the opener due to injury, but this will be the biggest test they’ve faced so far when it comes to a downfield passing attack.
“They present a big problem, and if they have Tee (Higgins) back, that’s another guy who’s one of the best in the league,” said safety Quandre Diggs. “Very explosive offense, they started slow but I think they’re starting to pick things up. Excited about the matchup, I haven’t played these guys since Joe’s been in the league so I’m excited for the opportunity. I know Cali’s (Brian Callahan) over there my old quarterback coach in Detroit, it’ll be good to see him also.”