The Seattle Seahawks are coming off a weird game. It was a perfect storm, with everything that could've gone wrong going terribly wrong. Even so, they still had a chance to keep their winning streak going until that last drive.
On paper, they shouldn't find much trouble getting back on track against the winless Los Angeles Chargers. That said, trap games exist, and Jim Harbaugh's team has its back against the wall, so they will take this as a playoff game.
Considering that, and given that the Chargers' roster is much better than their record shows, the Seahawks might have to get creative to pull this one off- They may need help from these four unlikely contributors.
Dante Fowler Jr. has been an afterthought so far. The Seahawks didn't need him for their stacked pass rush, but it's still been somewhat surprising to see them use him for just 39 defensive snaps over three weeks.
That said, the Chargers' offensive line is an utter disaster, so the former Dallas Cowboys star might finally get going in this one, even if he plays limited snaps. He's looked good in a diminished role, and if this one gets out of hand quickly, he might get an extended run.
The Chargers might be 0-3, but they have a stout cornerback tandem. They'll focus all their efforts on stopping Jaxon Smith-Njigba, which has already been proven impossible. That said, Sam Darnold might have an easier time getting completions between the numbers.
Cooper Kupp is the team's short and intermediate route specialist. It shouldn't be surprising to see him have a big game, even in this day and age, but it's not like anyone expects him to be his old self. He still has some big catches in him, though.
The Seahawks desperately need Julian Love back, so again, saying that he's a surprising contributor might be a bit of a stretch. Then again, he has everything to be the team's defensive MVP against Justin Herbert's team.
With Mike Macdonald's defense keeping the quarterback under duress on every throwback, and with Herbert's erratic decision-making under pressure, the Seahawks' center fielder could be in for a turnover fest in this one.
The Seahawks' running game didn't get much going against the Washington Commanders. That might be due to their stout run defense, but they also missed right guard Anthony Bradford. With a full game to get his legs under him, Christian Haynes might do better in this one.
While the Seahawks might keep their committee approach in the backfield, they'll need someone to move people out of the way. If Haynes steps up, whoever totes the rock could feast against a Chargers' run defense that just allowed James Cook to rush for 154 yards and two scores.
This article was originally published on www.12thmanrising.com as 4 Seahawks players who will make an unexpected impact against Chargers .
