Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks offense are starting to click over the last couple of games and it’s good timing considering this week’s showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Both teams are 3-1 and obviously reside in the NFC, so this matchup could play a large role in determining playoff seeding down the line. Add in the fact the Bucs just lost to the Philadelphia Eagles and it becomes even more important for the guys in pewter and red to come out victorious.

We’ve already talked about the Bucs’ top matchups on the offensive side of the ball, so of course we have to cover the biggest matchups for the defense.

Let’s stop wasting time and dive in.

Bucs’ injured secondary vs. Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ passing attack

Todd Bowles ruled out starting cornerback Jamel Dean on Friday. His backup, rookie Benjamin Morrison, is also out and so is Christian Izien, who plays mostly nickel, but can also pitch in at safety and on the perimeter.

That’s three key pieces of the Bucs secondary. Dean was having the best year of his career before he got hurt against the Eagles and Morrison was not only rotating with Dean, but he’s flashed when healthy. Izien’s versatility has bailed the Bucs out of tough spots plenty of times in the past.

My thought is Kindle Vildor takes over for Dean and Morrison and third-round rookie Jacob Parrish will be the primary nickel. The Bucs will likely call up Bryce Hall from the practice squad for depth, too.

Sam Darnold has been lights out so far this year, even if he’s 13th in passing yards and tied for 18th with five passing touchdowns. He’s extremely accurate, careful, and smart with the football and it’s a big reason why the Seahawks are scoring nearly 28 points per game, which is currently sixth-best after Thursday night’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.

The ‘Hawks are a run-first team and deploy a ton of 12 personnel. They do this in order to provide the correct infrastructure for an effective play-action attack, which is one of Darnold’s biggest strengths. It’s also how Seattle manufactures explosive plays in the passing game. Per Pro Football Focus, Darnold’s average depth of target on play-action passes is 13.1 (highest among 32 qualifying QBs) compared to 8.3 on non-PAPs and he has a higher big-time throw rate at 7.7% compared to 5.1%, as well.

On top of all that, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has turned into one of the NFL’s best receivers, Cooper Kupp can still play, and fifth-round rookie Tory Horton has already made several big plays. The Bucs secondary is really going to have to put it all together without some of its best pieces if Tampa wants to win this game and it needs some help from the pass rush, too, because the undermanned unit won’t be able to hold up without it.

Speaking of which…

Bucs’ pass rush vs. an improving Seahawks offensive line

The Seahawks offensive line is definitely the weakest link on that side of the ball, but it’s improving each and every week. The Bucs pass rush has looked good through four games and while the sack numbers could stand to improve – Bowles’ group can get after the quarterback.

“It was huge… the way that they stepped up on several drives,” Darnold told reporters after the Seahawks’ Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals. “Obviously, there are a lot of ways to be able to get better… not only for them, but for me and our entire offense. When they needed to step up, they stepped up in a big way.”

Seattle’s OL is young – the average age of the starting five is 25.4 years old, with Abraham Lucas repping as the eldest at 27. Technically, none of the starting offensive linemen have even reached veteran status, yet, since we are only in Week 5. Still, the group is developing the forever-sought cohesion and chemistry that determines a line’s ceiling and that has it on the right path.

The Bucs have the advantage on the interior, where Jalen Sundell, Anthony Bradford, and rookie Grey Zabel reside. Bradford has really had some struggles this year and will have his hands full with Vita Vea and Logan Hall. Greg Gaines was listed as a full participant in Thursday’s practice after missing Wednesday, which bodes well for his Sunday status and the interior pressure aspect.

If Vea and Co. can get pressure, it’ll help free up the edges where Lucas and Cross are forming one of the league’s better tackle duos. You have to like your chances with Yaya Diaby and Haason Reddick taking on more single blocks and less double teams, especially when both players are in the Top-25 of total pressures on the year.

Containing Kenneth Walker III

Walker III has had an interesting year, so far, to say the least. He hasn’t been the most efficient runner, but he’s capable of breaking off a big play at any moment and the Seahawks offense feeds off that. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak loves to run outside zone concepts and they’re easily the backbone of the offense.

Even though he hasn’t been used as much in the passing game this year, Walker III’s a do-it-all back and the offense is one of the league’s best when he’s going at full tilt.

There are two reasons why Walker III needs to be contained, though, and the second harkens back to the play-action discussion involving Darnold. While it’s been proven teams don’t need to have a ton of success on the ground in order for play-action to work, there’s the obvious, undeniable fact a strong ground attack creates the perfect environment for the concept to succeed.

The Bucs’ run defense has been strong all year long and the Seahawks have been inconsistent on the ground, but have shown flashes of life plenty of times. The Bucs need to make sure those flashes are minimal, if non-existent, when they face off Sunday.

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Craig Smith