Monday Night Football? Tuesday Morning Football?
A late night is on the cards as the 4-2 Seattle Seahawks face the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football.
It is shaping up to be an important match between two talented young teams with playoff aspirations.
Despite a strong start, Seattle still has some big questions to answer to be a serious contender this year.
Can they do so under the Prime-Time* lights against a strong Houston side?
*We need to have a discussion about the extremely late kick-off times! 3:00am start here in the UK… The match will likely finish after midnight on the US east coast!
In-form sides
The Houston Texans come into this match in terrific form.
They have won their last two matches by a combined 70 points to 10 – against the Ravens and the Titans.
The Seahawks lost narrowly against the Buccaneers in Week 5 before an efficient performance saw them beat the Jaguars last time out.
Obviously Seattle will need to step up across the board to beat the flying Texans.
Bolstered secondary
The potential return of Julian Love and Devon Witherspoon provides a massive boost for the Seahawks.
Both missed recent games due to injury, but returned to practice this week and are listed as questionable to play.
Additionally, Riq Woolen has also cleared concussion protocol and is available for the Texans clash.
The return of three Pro-Bowl calibre players would be welcome news for Seattle’s secondary.
Key match-up
This battle in the trenches will be the decisive factor in this match. Both teams boast exceptional defensive fronts, with question marks around their offensive lines.
The Texans’ duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter is as potent a pass rushing pair as any in the league.
Meanwhile, Tim Settle Jr. and Sheldon Rankins have started the season strongly at the heart of the Texans defensive line.
PFF has all four players ranked in the top 10 NFL-wide at their respective positions.
The Seahawks offensive line has taken strides forward this year. Sam Darnold has mostly been kept upright, but Seattle’s run game has often struggled to get going.
This loaded Texans pass rush is by far the stiffest test the young O-line has encountered this season.
If they can give Darnold enough time and space to operate, the Seahawks could find their way to a statement victory.
Fail in that objective, and it could be a long Tuesday morning for the Seattle quarterback.
