Seahawks Reclaim Crown of NFC’s Most Complete Team With Win Over Falcons

There are a number of surprises in the NFC six weeks into the 2016 season. The conference’s lone unbeaten team lost both its starting quarterback and star tailback and keeps winning anyway.

The defending conference champions, on the other hand, have already lost five times as many games as they did all of last season. At 1-5, the Carolina Panthers are toast.

For all the things that have changed, however, one thing has stayed the same: The Seattle Seahawks are perched in their usual spot atop the NFC West. After downing the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, 26-24, Seattle served notice to the rest of the NFC.

The Minnesota Vikings may have the better record as of now, but the Seahawks are still the team to beat.

Heading into Sunday’s matchup, the dominant storyline was the matchup between the NFL’s top offense and Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” secondary—or more specifically, the battle between superstar wide receiver Julio Jones and cornerback Richard Sherman.

Jones told reporters he wasn’t about to shrink from the challenge:

If that’s what they think is going to slow me down or give them the best chance at being successful, that’s what they’re going to do. I’m not their coach to decide that. It’s whatever they do. I’m not calling anyone out or anything; nor am I going to shy away from competition. I’m definitely going to compete every play, it doesn’t matter who’s guarding me.

If all you did was glance at the stat sheet, you would probably assume Jones (seven receptions, 139 yards, one touchdown) got the better of Sherman and the Seahawks on Sunday. But the stats don’t tell the whole story.

Jones did the overwhelming majority of his damage during Atlanta’s 21-point third quarter. However, he also let the ball carom off his hands to Seattle safety Earl Thomas (via Sherman) that set up Seattle’s game-winning field goal:

Julio can’t hang on.But Earl Thomas can…@Seahawks ball.Going the other way. #ATLvsSEA https://t.co/np1VyEHM8q

— NFL (@NFL) October 16, 2016

That play, in which the ball …

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