Welcome to the post-bye, Week 7 edition of 'Speaking with the Enemy,' a new weekly feature here at Toro Times where I'll be sleuthing for some intel on each week's Houston Texans opponent.
This week, ahead of a Monday Night Football clash with the Seattle Seahawks, I spoke with Lee Vowell, the site expert over at 12th Man Rising to get the Pacific Northwest perspective on what we should be expecting from this matchup.
Sonny Giuliano: Lee, thanks for taking the time to talk with me about this Monday's matchup. Let's start with a temperature check on Sam Darnold. How is everyone in Seattle feeling about the Darnold experience through six games?
Lee Vowell: Great! If anything, Darnold has exceeded expectations. His quarterback rating is in the top five, and except for two mistakes (neither of which was of his own making) late in games, he's been as good as anyone could ask. He was signed to a three-year deal, but ultimately a one-year deal as the Seahawks had an out after year one. At this point, that isn't even a question. He should be Seattle's quarterback for the foreseeable future.
SG: For those who haven't been paying as close attention as they should, can you explain to everyone what makes Jaxon Smith-Njigba so damn good, and is the current pace he's on sustainable?
LV: Smith-Njigba's biggest issue might have been that he was hurt in his final year of college. He is faster than people expected, and his lower-body strength is more like a running back than a receiver. But what makes him special is that he is one of the best route-runners that many people will ever watch. He has an intuition for when to cut and where to find the openings in coverage. In other words, not completely coachable skills, but natural talent.
I think he has the ability and the offensive scheme to continue to be great, but getting to 2,000 receiving yards shouldn't be a reality. Hopefully, the team starts running the ball better, and other receivers get more involved. Plus, Week 7 is going to be tough against a great Texans secondary.
SG: Earlier this week, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans talked about the importance of staying on schedule offensively and how that starts with establishing the run. Seattle is fourth in the league against the run, and additionally, they've got the third-most pressures and second-most sacks. On the surface, this matchup seems like a nightmare for the Texans' offense. What, if there's anything, can Houston exploit on Monday night?
LV: That is a great question because it depends on who is healthy for Seattle. The Seahawks were a mess in Week 5 against a good Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense, but a bit reason is that Seattle was missing nearly half of its starters in the second half. CJ Stroud is a good quarterback, and he should be able to take advantage of miscommunication in the secondary if Seattle is once again missing safety Julian Love and cornerback Devon Witherspoon. The problem for Houston might be that Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald is elite in his defensive scheme and understanding how to pressure quarterbacks. If the game comes down to Seattle's defensive line of Byron Murphy II, Leonard Williams, and others, that's a mismatch.
If Stroud has time, though, Houston is going to score points. As good as the Texans' defense is, they might simply outscore Seattle in a low-scoring game.
SG: So heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, Nick Emmanwori was my guy. I was enamored by his Combine performance, loved his tape at South Carolina, and thought it was ridiculous he didn't go in Round 1. What's the skinny on how he's looked in his three games this season, because the numbers have been impressive.
LV: He's been great overall, but with the promise of being much better in the future. He's being hidden a bit by Mike Macdonald because Emmanwori, like most NFL rookies, can struggle in coverage. Instead, Macdonald is using him closer to the line of scrimmage and in the slot, and having him excel in run support. Eventually, the coverage will catch up, and he will be near-Pro Bowl quality. He hasn't been asked to blitz too often, but has flashed that he can do so. In other words, Nick Emmanwori can be beaten in coverage, but can also be extremely disruptive in every other facet of the defense.
SG: Give me one truly under-the-radar Seahawks player that Texans fans -- and NFL fans in general -- should be paying attention to this week and for the remainder of the season?
LV: I would say Byron Murphy II, but I think Texans fans already know about him since he played at Texas. The more realistic answer for Week 7 is probably AJ Barner. The tight end already has four touchdown catches and has turned out to be the third-best option for quarterback Sam Darnold. He is a great blocker, but has become a red-zone threat in year two, and had a 61-yard catch and run in Week 6 that sealed the game. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba's numbers likely suppressed this week by the Texans' secondary, Barner might see a lot of targets now and into the future.
SG: Got a prediction for Mariners/Blue Jays?
LV: I'm one of those regular sports fans who is ridiculously superstitious. I obviously want the Mariners to go 162-0 in the regular season and sweep through the playoffs, so I'll just say Blue Jays beat them and move on to the World Series. Anything else and I would be jinxing Cal Raleigh and Company.
SG: I have nothing but respect for that prediction. Best of luck, and thanks again!