Game Preview: Seahawks make rare trip to Jacksonville, looking for third win in a row

Sept. 11, 2005 – Matt Hasslebeck threw two touchdowns, former Washington State star Marcus Trufant lead the team with seven tackles, and the Seahawks had still never appeared in a Super Bowl the last time they played a game in Jacksonville against the Jaguars.

Now, the (8-4) Seahawks enter Sunday’s matchup against the (8-4) Jacksonville Jaguars looking for their third win in a row, after beating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-10 last week.

The Jaguars will prove to be a more difficult opponent than in years past as they boast the NFL’s best defense, giving up just 14.8 points and 282.5 yards per game.

However, as 12's everywhere know, Seahawks teams under Pete Carroll play their best football when it matters most.

Watch Steve Raible's Scouting Report on Saturday at 7 p.m. for a complete preview of Sunday's game against the Jaguars. Hear Steve's one-on-one interview with wide receiver Tyler Lockett, his '710 with 710' conversation with KIRO radio's Danny O'Neill, and more.

Seattle is an NFC best 20-5 in December and January regular-season games since Russell Wilson joined the franchise in 2012.

A win on Sunday would up improve their impressive end-of-the-season record and put this Seahawks team in a great position to make the playoffs for the seventh time in eight season under Pete Carroll.

Scroll down to continue reading

Trending headlines

• 1 arrested, 2nd murder suspect sought in Everett double shooting
• Surviving Nirvana members reunite during northwest Foo Fighters show
• How to spot fake bills that are possibly being passed in Western Washington
• Truckers threatening to sue Ports of Seattle-Tacoma over clean air enforcement
• A wild orangutan found a camera and suddenly became a professional photographer

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP

Here are three keys to victory for the Seahawks on Sunday:

After recording a franchise-record 10 sacks in their week one victory over the Houston Texans, the Jacksonville Jaguars branded themselves as 'Sacksonville'.

That moniker has proved to be true with the Jaguars leading the NFL in sacks this season with 45 sacks through 12 games.

Lead by high-priced defensive linemen in Calais Campbell, Malik Jackson, Marcel Darreus along with rising stars in Yannick Ngakoue and Dante Fowler Jr. the Jaguars defensive front will be the toughest the Seahawks' offensive line will have faced this season.

>> Related: DeShawn Shead returns to Seahawks practice 

The Seahawks will need former Jaguar Luke Joeckel, new left tackle Duane Brown and center Justin Britt to allow Russell Wilson enough time to make plays downfield, and avoid becoming the latest victim of the 'Sacksonville' defense to get a win on Sunday.

After drafting a rookie running back fourth overall in the 2017 NFL draft first-year Jaguars coach Doug Marrone made it very clear that the team was shifting the team's offensive identity.

"For me, I like to run the ball every play," Marrone said. "I want to go back to the old way. I want to change the game."

Leonard Fournette has been as good as advertised through 12 games this season, ranking seventh in the NFL with 822 yards rushing on 207 carries.

The Seahawks know how impressive the rookie has been, but the team boasts a strong run defense of their own, ranking seventh in the league in allowing 98.3 rushing yards per game.

Earl Thomas, Bobby Wagner, Michael Bennett and the other veteran leaders on the Seahawks defense will look to shut down the Jaguars rushing attack and provide an unofficial "welcome to the NFL" moment for Fournette.

Stopping the Jaguars running game and forcing quarterback Blake Bortles to make plays with his arm will put the Seahawks in an excellent position to get a win on Sunday.

In a November loss at home to the Washington Redskins the Seahawks had a season-high 16 penalties, and head coach Pete Carroll acknowledged the team's need to play more disciplined football.

"I’m just really disappointed,” Carroll said, “because we’ve been addressing it and we haven’t cleaned it up. And that really bugs me."

Now, it appears as if Carroll's focus on improving the team's discipline has paid off as the Seahawks have had back-to-back games with six or less penalties (both wins).

The team will look to continue their trend of playing mistake-free football against the Jaguars on Sunday, and while penalties will happen, when they occur will ultimately tell the story on Sunday.

If the Seahawks' offensive line can largely avoid pre-snap penalties, they will show that their recent discipline is not an aberration, but a trend to be counted on, and they will be in an excellent position to get a win over the Jaguars on Sunday.

Cox Media Group