The Seahawks rank No. 3 in total defense

SEAHAWKS (8-5) AT BILLS (5-8)

By Football Night in America’s Eliott Kalb

• Seattle will wear Wolf Grey for Sunday’s game against Buffalo in Toronto. It’s the first time Seattle will have worn its new third uniforms from April’s redesign and only the second time an alternate jersey has been worn at all (Sept. 27, 2009, against Chicago). “It’s our one chance we can do it, so we picked this game out a long time ago,” Carroll said Wednesday. Merchandise sales are up 274 percent at the team’s two retail locations and online. The Seahawks are moving units.
• This, of course, will be Marshawn Lynch‘s first game against his former team. Carroll explained that the Seahawks had pursued the running back for several weeks from the Bills before the teams eventually agreed on a trade back in 2010. So what eventually made the deal go through? “I think (GM JohnSchneider) just wore them out,” Carroll said with a laugh.
• In the first eight games of the season, the Bills were allowing 169.5 rushing yards and 5.6 yards per attempt, totals that ranked 31st and 32nd in the NFL, respectively. Over the last five games, those numbers have fallen to 78.4 yards and 3.1 yards per rush, figures that are second and tied for first in the league. The Bills also lead the AFC in stopping opponents 41 times for negative yards on rushing plays, a total that ranks sixth in the NFL.
• The Bills have held their opponents to less than 90 yards rushing in each of the last four games.
• The Bills had allowed 28 points per game in their first eight, that number has been reduced to 18 per game in the last five.
• The Bills will go into Sunday’s game against Seattle in Toronto with just two running backs in C.J. Spiller and Tashard Choice.
• Spiller only got eight touches in the Bills’ loss to the Rams this past weekend—and was not thrilled with it.
• The Seahawks rank No. 3 in total defense, allowing an average of 301.7 yards per game. They’re No. 4 in passing defense (196.3), No. 4 in rushing offense (152.3) and No. 10 in rushing defense (105.4). The offense ranks No. 21 overall (341.2) and the passing offense is No. 29 (188.9).
• After Sunday’s eight-turnover avalanche against the Cardinals, the Seahawks are plus-8 in turnover differential, which ties for eighth in the league. Only seven teams have fewer giveaways than the Seahawks (17; nine interceptions, eight fumbles).
• Leodis McKelvin leads the NFL with an 18.7-yard average returning punts, including 88- and 79-yarders for touchdowns among his league-leading 20 returns of 20-plus yards. He’s also fifth in the league in kickoff return average (28.3). McKelvin is the only returner in the league to rank among the Top 5 in both categories
• But this week McKelvin will be trying to do his thing against one the best coverage units in the league. The Seahawks have yet to allow a return – kickoff (40) or punt (30) – of more than 40 yards. Only two other teams can make that claim, the Chicago Bears (17-yard punt return, 38-yard kickoff return) and Green Bay Packers (20 and 38) – two teams the 8-5 Seahawks already have beaten, in part because they kept the lid on Packers returner Randall Cobb and the Bears’ Eric Weems, who was subbing for an injured Devin Hester.