Here are five things to love about the NFL from Week 9 of the regular season:

One. Not just touchdowns, but 11 of them in one game. After watching the Seahawks and their past three opponents combine for eight TDs, watching highlights of the Packers’ 45-38 victory over the Chargers was like tuning in to an old AFL game. Except that the opposing QBs – the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers and the Chargers’ Philip Rivers – weren’t born until the early 80s. But this game had that feel. Rodgers threw four TD passes. Rivers threw six passes that produced six points, but two of them were interceptions that the Packers returned for TDs.

Two. Rodgers. We haven’t given him any love this season, because the Packers’ purebred passer has been so ridiculously consistent for the unbeaten boys from Green Bay. But his numbers in the above mentioned shootout were staggering: 21 of 26 for 247 yards, and those four TDs, for a passer rating of 145.8. Peter King of SI.com crunched some numbers and came up with these on-a-pace-for 16-game projections for Rodgers: .725 completion percentage, 5,238 passing yards and a 129.1 rating, which would be league records; plus 48 TD passes compared to six interceptions. Amazing stuff, and on a weekly basis.

Three. Patrick Peterson. The first-round draft choice of the Cardinals already has returned three punts for TDs, including six-pointers in each of the past two games. But Sunday, it was a 99-yarder in overtime to give Arizona a 19-13 victory over the Rams. The rookie was pretty good in his other role, as well, with an interception, three passes defensed and three solo tackles.

Four. Sunday Night Lights. After a three-week run of snoozers – Bears 39, Vikings 10; Saints 62, Colts 7; Eagles 34, Cowboys 7 – NBC got a dandy last night. When the Steelers took their first lead of the game, 20-16, with roughly five minutes to play on Ben Roethlisberger’s 25-yard TD pass to Mike Wallace, you had to figure this one was over. Someone forgot to tell Joe Flacco. All the Ravens’ QB did was direct a 13-play, 92-yard drive that ended with his 26-yard TD pass to Troy Smith with eight seconds left. Talk about “must-see TV.”

Five. The Seahawks’ Week 5 upset of the Giants at MetLife Stadium. This isn’t a flashback; it’s an ode to what the Giants have done since letting the Seahawks steal that 36-25 victory. They rallied to beat the then 4-1 Bills 27-24 on a late field goal and the Dolphins 20-17 on a late TD pass; and, on Sunday, beat the Patriots in New England 24-20 as Eli Manning out-Brady-ed Tom Brady by throwing a 1-yard TD pass to tight end Jake Ballard with 15 seconds to play. In those three games, Peyton’s kid brother is 72 of 116 for 890 yards with four TDs and one interception for a 93.7 rating.

Linebacker and leading tackler Sean Lee, cornerback Mike Jenkins and punter Mat McBriar are inactive for the Cowboys today. Also out is running back Felix Jones, who will miss his third start with a sprained ankle.

Keith Brooking will start for Lee, who dislocated his left wrist last week; Orlando Scandrick will start for Jenkins, who has a hamstring injury; and Chris Jones, who was just signed off the practice squad, will out for McBriar, who has a nerve problem in his left foot. DeMarco Murray will continue to replace Jones.

Also inactive for the Cowboys:

OL Kevin Kowalski

OG David Arkin

DE Clifton Geathers

The news for the Seahawks on their inactives is that DT Alan Branch is active. He had been in question all week with hip and knee injuries. Also active is linebacker and special teams standout David Vobora, who left practice on Wednesday after tweaking a calf.

Inactive for the Seahawks:

QB Josh Portis

WR Kris Durham

S Jeron Johnson

CB Ron Parker

OT Jarriel King

TE Cameron Morrah

DT Al Woods

ARLINGTON, Texas – Greetings from Cowboys Stadium, or the entertainment center for the world’s largest TV screens. Oh, and also the home of a 3-4 Cowboys team that hosts the 2-5 Seahawks today, with kickoff and TV coverage on Fox set for 10 a.m. PST.

First, a good news/bad news situation. The bad? The last two times the Seahawks have played the Cowboys they’ve been outscored 72-26, with both losses in the Lone Star state. The good? Only eight players on the 53-man roster played in the last game – Nov. 1, 2009.

More good news? The fans and media in Big D are more frustrated with the Cowboys than those who inhabit Seahawks Nation are with their club. Impossible, you say. Well, the ’Boys, as they’re called down here, had higher expectations coming into this season, so that 3-4 record is not cutting it – especially after last week’s embarrassing 34-7 loss to the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles, on national TV no less.

But the Cowboys are still favored in today’s game.

If the Seahawks are going to be able to find a way to pull off another upset of an NFC East team on the road, here are some factors that will need to go their way:

Start Tarvaris Jackson – The Seahawks simply are a different, and better, offense with Jackson at quarterback. He understands and operates the no-huddle offense better than backup Charlie Whitehurst – who started the past two games and produced three points in five quarters.

But is Jackson ready to start? Coach Pete Carroll was vaguely coy on Friday when asked about the strained pectoral in Jackson’s right shoulder. The thought earlier in the week was that Jackson was ready to return after sitting out those five quarters but then taking over in the second quarter against the Bengals last week. Jackson practiced on Wednesday and then said on Thursday that he was ready. That was before being very limited in practice that day.

Jackson did practice Friday, but afterward Carroll offered, “Tarvaris does not feel great. He’s barely making it through practice. But he did.” And that leads to …

Protect the passer – Be it Jackson or Whitehurst, the Seahawks need to do a better job in pass protection. They have allowed a league-high 28 sacks – 20 for Jackson and eight for Whitehurst.

Today, they’ll be staring down the daunting task that is trying to block DeMarcus Ware, who got four of his 12 sacks in last week’s loss to the Eagles. The dude is a force, as evidenced by his 84 sacks since the start of the 2006 season, tops in the NFL.

Then there’s coordinator Rob Ryan’s scheme, which allows Ware to move around more than he has in past seasons. Friday, Ryan labeled his unit’s efforts against the Eagles “a dud.” He also gave reporters who cover the team this assessment of what he’ll do regarding what the Seahawks might try to do:

“If teams want to open it up, hell, we’ll knock the quarterback out. If they’re going to max protect, we’d rather cover and get off the field than try to go after some sack record.”

That last part? It was a reference to Ware being on pace to break the NFL single-season sack record of 22 that was set by the Giants’ Michael Strahan.

Stop the run – No problem for the Seahawks defense, right? Not in their first seven games, when the Seahawks have allowed the lowest per-rush average in the league (3.2 yards). But the Cowboys’ DeMarco Murray has averaged 9.9 yards a carry the past two weeks while subbing for an injured Felix Jones.

The Seahawks need to continue to be stout against the run, because …

Which Tony Romo shows up? – The Seahawks coaches have been gushing about the Cowboys QB all week. But Romo has not consistently been that passer.

Yes, he has completed 62.7 percent of his throws. Yes, he has almost 2,000 passing yards. Yes, his passer rating is 89.7. But Romo also has served up too many oh-no throws.

So the easier-said-than-done plan for the Seahawks is to put Romo into must-pass situations and then pressure him into mistakes.

We’ll be back later with the inactives for each team, and there could be some significant situations. The Cowboys already have ruled out cornerback Mike Jenkins and Jones. If linebacker Sean Lee plays, it will be with a cast on the left wrist the Cowboys’ leading tackler dislocated last week. Mat McBriar also is questionable because the Pro Bowl punter has a nerve problem in his left foot. Chris Jones was signed off the practice squad Saturday incase McBriar can’t go.

For the Seahawks, defensive tackle Alan Branch is questionable, and he has been big key – literally – in the success against the run.

Check out some images from Thursday’s practice, brought to you by Seahawks.com photographer Rod Mar:

Golden Tate and Richard Sherman go up for a deep ball. [Photo by Rod Mar, Seahawks.com] 

Sidney Rice, who sat out Thursday, coaches up Doug Baldwin. [Photo by Rod Mar, Seahawks.com]

The tight ends go through position drills. [Photo by Rod Mar, Seahawks.com] 

Eighteen percent of the nation’s TV sets will receive Sunday’s Seahawks-Cowboys game on FOX at 10 a.m. PDT. Chris Myers and Tim Ryan will have the call.

The Seattle-Dallas game has the third-largest coverage area in FOX’s Sunday 1pm EST slot. The Tampa Bay-New Orleans game (41 percent) and San Francisco-Washington game (31 percent) are the matchups in that time slot with more viewers than the Seahawks-Cowboys tilt. Here’s a look at the markets that will receive the Seahawks game at Dallas:

• Abilene, Texas
• Albuquerque, N.M.
• Amarillo, Texas
• Anchorage
• Austin, Texas
• Beaumont, Texas
• Bend, Ore.
• Colorado Springs, Colo.
• Corpus Christi, Texas
• Dallas
• Denver
• El Paso
• Eugene, Ore.
• Fairbanks, Alaska
• Fort Smith, Ark.
• Grand Junction, Colo.
• Harlingen, Texas
• Jackson, Miss.
• Joplin, Mo.
• Laredo, Texas
• Little Rock, Ark.
• Lubbock, Texas
• Memphis, Tenn.
• Odessa, Texas
• Oklahoma City
• Philadelphia
• Portland, Ore.
• San Angelo, Texas
• San Antonio
• Seattle
• Sherman, Texas
• Spokane
• Springfield, Mo.
• Topeka, Ks.
• Tulsa
• Tyler, Texas
• Victoria, Texas
• Waco, Texas
• Wichita, Ks.
• Wichita Falls, Texas
• Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
• Yakima

Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor has landed a spot on Peter King’s midseason All-Pro team.

Chancellor, in his first season as a starter after being a fifth-round draft choice last year, leads the Seahawks with three interceptions and also is fourth on the team with 43 tackles. He is one of the safeties on King’s team, which will be included in this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated, along with the Steelers’ Troy Polamalu.

King on Chancellor: “The 6-3 Chancellor conjures memories of giant Cincy safety David Fulcher. Chancellor hits like his hero, Sean Taylor.”

Jacob Greene, meet Jacob Green.

That was the scene on the sideline at CenturyLink Field before Sunday’s game between the Seahawks and Cincinnati Bengals as 15-year-old Jacob Greene hooked up Jacob Green, the team’s all-time sack leader and Ring of Honor defensive end, as part of his two-day “dream come true.”

Greene has cystic fibrosis and the Kids Wish Network granted him a wish.

Disneyland? “We’ve been there plenty of times,” Greene said.

Nope, he wanted to attend a Seahawks’ practice, which he did on Saturday, and take in a game, which he did on Sunday – with his parents, Carl and Lisa; and sister, Kasey, who will turn 11 this month and also has cystic fibrosis. The Greene’s live in Bellevue and Jacob goes to Bellevue Christian School.

All in all, it definitely was a dream fulfilled, and then some.

“This is what I wanted,” said Greene, who was wearing the No. 24 jersey of his favorite player – Marshawn Lynch. “The whole thing has been cool, and the best part was meeting the players (Saturday).”

It was difficult to tell who was more excited – Greene or his mother.

“This has been over the top,” she said. “Jacob is a real Seahawks fan, so he’s been just dreaming of this for a long time. You should see his room; it’s all about football – Seahawks everywhere.

“Jacob has been dreaming about his wish for a long time. And this just gives us a spark of hope and something to look forward to and something special in the midst of stark stuff – because Jacob and Kasey both do a couple hours a day of treatment, and then there’s the medication and hospitalization.

“So this is huge. Kids Wish Network has been amazing and the Seahawks have been just over the top. Incredibly so.”

The opportunity to meet Jacob Green was a bonus – a dream encounter, if you will.

“It’s just amazing,” Green said. “I was asked if I’d meet him and take a picture with him and I said, ‘Of course.’ That’s something that he was named Jacob Greene. That’s pretty cool to get a chance to meet another Jacob Greene.”

Asked for his reaction to meeting up with another Jacob Green, Greene offered, “It’s a little creepy.”

But then again, it was Halloween Eve.

When: Sunday, 10 a.m. PST, Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Record: 3-4 after Sunday night’s 34-7 loss to the Eagles

Where they rank: No. 8 on offense (tied for 15^th rushing, 7^th passing); No. 9 on defense (4^th rushing, 16^th passing)

Series: Cowboys lead 8-4 including victories in the past two meetings, both in Texas – 38-17 on Nov. 1, 2009, and 34-9 on Nov. 27, 2008

Star power: DeMarcus Ware. As is rhymes with “everywhere.” As in that’s where the Cowboys’ weakside linebacker has been making plays this season. He has 12 sacks, to rank second in the league; and 31 tackles, to rank fourth on the team. His line from the loss to the Eagles was off the charts: 11 tackles, four sacks, four other QB hits, a forced fumble. “I thought it was as amazing performance,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “It’s really almost what you come to expect from the guy.” The five-time Pro Bowl ’backer is no stranger to the Seahawks. In the 2008 game at Texas Stadium, Ware beat Walter Jones for two sacks of his three sacks in what would be the final game of his career for the Seahawks’ Hall of Fame left tackle. Ware also had a sack among his eight tackles in the 2009 game.

Unsung hero: DeMarco Murray. He not only stepped in when Felix Jones went down with a high sprain of his left ankle, Murray ran roughshod through the St. Louis Rams’ No. 32-ranked run defense and the Cowboys’ record book for 253 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown. Murray only got eight carries against the Eagles, but made the most of them by averaging 9.3 yards to finish with 74. Garrett stops short of saying that Murray has supplanted Jones as the team’s feature back, but until someone finds a way to stop Murray – and Jones gets healthy – that is indeed the case.

On the spot: The Cowboys’ defense. They entered the Eagles game ranked seventh overall and No. 1 against the run. The Eagles then put up 34 points and 495 yards, including 185 rushing yards and two TDs by LeSean McCoy. The finger-pointing in Big D has been plentiful, starting with coordinator Rob Ryan. This week, the Cowboys draw a Seahawks running game that is averaging 77.7 yards per game and 3.8 yards per carry. But they’ll be playing without cornerback Mike Jenkins, who injured a hamstring in the third quarter against the Eagles; and if linebacker and leading tackler Sean Lee plays it will be with a protective devise on the wrist he dislocated last week.

Burning question: Which Cowboys team shows up? The one that handed the 49ers their only loss of the season, and in San Francisco? Or, the one that got waxed by the Eagles last week? How inconsistent have the Cowboys been? They are below .500 for the third time this season.

Numbers to know: 4 and 1. The Cowboys are one of only four teams in the league to rank among the Top 10 in total offense and defense, but they are the only one with a losing record. The others: Steelers (6-2), No. 9 on offense and No. 2 on defense; Texans (5-3), No. 7 on offense and No. 3 on defense; Chargers (4-3), No. 6 on offense and defense.

Familiar faces: Backup QB Jon Kitna played for the Seahawks, starting 33 games from 1997-2000. He also played at Central Washington University and Tacoma’s Lincoln High School. Offensive line coach/running game coordinator Hudson Houck coached for the Seahawks in 1992. Secondary coach Dave Campo coached at Washington State in 1976. West Coast scout Sam Garza was the Seahawks’ eight-round draft choice in 1987. Pro scouting assistant Alex Loomis grew up in the Seattle area while his father, Mickey, worked in the Seahawks front office from 1983-1998.

The last word: “You never think something like this is going to happen. This is one of those games that just got out of hand and you felt like you couldn’t do anything about it.” – Jenkins after the loss to the Eagles

Here are five things to love about the NFL from Week 8:

One. Any given Sunday. Not the movie. But the cliché. On this given Sunday, the Rams leaped from the ranks of the winless by pinning a 31-21 loss on the Saints, while the one-win Cardinals gave the 5-2 Ravens everything they could handle in a three-point game and the still-winless Dolphins threw a giant-sized scare into the 5-2 Giants before also falling by three.

Two. Any give Sunday, part II – or the player version. Last week, the Saints’ Drew Brees had more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (four) in a 62-7 romp over the Colts. On this given Sunday, the Rams intercepted Brees twice, returning one 27 yards for a touchdown in their 10-point victory, and sacked him six times – including three from Howie’s kid, Rams’ defensive end Chris Long. Nothing against Brees, mind you, but the Rams deserve some love for finally picking up a victory with the members of the freshly crowned World Series Champion Cardinals in attendance.

Three. Big men, big hands. The 49ers won again, which is not so good for the Seahawks. But in their 20-10 victory over the Browns, Alex Smith completed passes to Joe Staley and Isaac Sopoaga. That’s 315-pound tackle Joe Staley and 330-pound defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga. Staley lined up as a tight end, took a short pass and turned it into a 17-yard gain on a first-quarter drive to a field goal. Sopoaga did the same in the fourth quarter, taking another short pass and taking it for an 18-yard gain on another drive that ended in a field goal. Sopoaga also was in on Frank Gore’s 4-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Four. Terrell Suggs. This goes back to No. 1, because the Ravens likely would not have escaped with their three-point win over the Cardinals without the efforts of their “other” linebacker. The Cardinals had only 57 offensive plays in the game, but Suggs came up with 13 tackles, a sack, four tackles for losses and two more hits on Arizona QB Kevin Kolb.

Five. Brandon Tate. Sorry to go here, but Tate’s performance against the Seahawks seemed like one big return after another. He finished with 186 return yards – 113 on four kickoff returns, 73 on three punt returns. So, you might ask. The Seahawks’ Leon Washington had 180 combined return yards. But with Tate, it was all about the timing. After the Seahawks cut the Bengals’ lead to 17-12, Tate had a 45-yard return on the ensuing kickoff to set up a field goal and then ran a punt back 56 yards for a TD. All this from a guy the Bengals picked up off waivers from the Patriots.

A recap of the Seahawks’ 34-12 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at CenturyLink Field on Sunday:

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Tarvaris Jackson. For a guy who wasn’t supposed to play, the Seahawks’ sore-shouldered quarterback played pretty darn well.

Jackson didn’t start the game because of a strained pectoral in his right shoulder, but he came on in the second quarter for a struggling Charlie Whitehurst. Before the game was over, Jackson had passed for a season-high 323 yards by completing 21 of 40 passes.

“I think we saw today that Tarvaris did an extraordinary, courageous job of playing under the circumstances,” coach Pete Carroll said. “He gives us our best chance, and we’ll hopefully get him healthier and get him ready for next week.”

Jackson sat out last week’s loss to the Browns in Cleveland, where the Seahawks mustered three points. He came on today after the Seahawks had scored three points on their first three possessions.

Jackson also passed for 300 yards the last time the Seahawks played at home – in a two-point loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4. He had 166 yards in the Week 5 games against the Giants, before leaving early in the third quarter after injuring his shoulder.

If anything, Carroll is even more sold on Jackson as his QB after what he was able to do against the Bengals.

“I think Tarvaris is a really good football player,” Carroll said. “He can make plenty of things happen. We need to build around him. We need to take care of him better.”

For his part, Jackson offered, “It’s hard to deal with, being that we’re 2-5 and we’ve lost two straight. We came out of the bye week and this not what we pictured – being a 2-5 team. Who cares about how young we are? That doesn’t matter.”

PLAYS OF THE GAME

Offense: The all-rookie 43-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton to A.J. Green that gave the Bengals a 17-3 lead late in the first half. The Seahawks got pressure on Dalton, but he eluded it and launched a pretty pass to Green, who caught the ball in the end zone despite tight coverage from free safety Earl Thomas.

“Earl Thomas, he’s a great player,” Green said. “(The pass) came a little inside. He was flat-footed. I took it over the top and Andy just threw a perfect ball. I just made a play.”

Defense: The Bengals’ Reggie Nelson intercepted a Jackson pass late in the fourth quarter and turned it into a pick-six with a 75-yard scoring return. But the game had been decided by that point, and before those points. So let’s go with one of the Seahawks’ two interceptions off Dalton – the one where rookie cornerback Richard Sherman tipped a pass that was intended for Green and strong safety Kam Chancellor intercepted the carom. That interception setup the Seahawks’ only TD – a 2-yard run by Marshawn Lynch – that made it 17-12 midway through the fourth quarter.

“He tried to accelerate away,” said Sherman, who had an interception of his own in the third quarter. “I caught up, got the ball and he tried to go over my head. But I batted it out and Kam was there.”

Special teams: Brandon Tate had two long returns late in the fourth quarter. His 45-yard kickoff return after the Seahawks’ only TD set up a field goal. But he then returned a punt 56 yards for a score.

INJURY REPORT

The Seahawks played without Mike Williams, who tweaked a hamstring late in the week. But Ben Obomanu stepped in at split end and caught four passes for 107 yards.

WORTH NOTING

In addition to Obomanu, Sidney Rice had seven catches for 102 yards. The last time the Seahawks had two 100-yard receivers in the same game was in 2004 against the Cowboys, when Darrell Jackson caught nine for 113 and Jerry Rice had eight for 145.

The defense held the Bengals to three points in the second half.

Lynch scored his team-high third rushing touchdown, but gained 24 yards on 16 carries for a 1.5-yard average. Leon Washington (two for 34) was the team’s leading rusher.

Jon Ryan averaged 53.3 yards on six punts, but his net average (24.0) took a beating because Tate returned his 49-yarder for 56 and the score.

Thomas led the Seahawks with 10 tackles, the first time this season he has done so. Chancellor and linebackers David Hawthorne and Leroy Hill have each led the team in tackles twice.

Heath Farwell had three coverage tackles on special teams for the Seahawks.

Sherman, making his first NFL start, had the interception, the tip to that led to the interception by Chancellor and five tackles.

The Seahawks had substantial advantages in total yards (411 to 252), offensive plays (71 to 57) and net passing yards (350 to 160). But the Bengals had the edge in time of possession (31:27 to 28:33). The Seahawks have yet to win the TOP battle this season.

YOU DON’T SAY

“It ain’t a good place to be, but it’s a good place to leave behind.” – Carroll

The Bengals will be without tight end Jermaine Gresham, their second leading receiver, for today’s game. He has been named inactive because of a sore hamstring. Donald Lee will start.

Also inactive for the Bengals:

• CB Morgan Trent
• S Robert Sands
• LB Dontay Moch
• LB Rey Maualuga
• OG Clint Boling
• WR Ryan Whalen

Dan Skuta will start for Maualuga.

UPDATE: Charlie Whitehurst started Sunday’s game against the Bengals.

QB Tarvaris Jackson will be active during today’s game.

But Mike Williams is inactive because of a sore hamstring, so Ben Obomanu will start at split end.

Also inactive for the Seahawks:

• QB Josh Portis
• S Jeron Johnson
• CB Kennard Cox
• CB Ron Parker
• DT Al Woods
• OL Jarriel King

Greetings from CenturyLink Field, where the Seahawks will play the Cincinnati Bengals this afternoon – with kickoff and TV coverage on CBS (channel 7 in Seattle) set for 1:15. It’s the first home game for the Seahawks since Oct. 2, and only their third of the season.

Some of the players already are out preparing for the game, and all eyes will be on QB Tarvaris Jackson, who is attempting to return after missing last week’s loss to the Browns in Cleveland because of the strained pectoral he got in the third quarter of the pre-bye week game against the Giants at the Meadowlands.

Jackson warmed up before last week’s game, as well, but the decision was made to go with backup Charlie Whitehurst because he had gotten all the starter reps in practice and Jackson’s right shoulder was still sore.

That was the case this week, too. Until Friday.

What the coaches had yet to see from Jackson was the ability to plant and put his entire body into firing the ball. He did that early in Friday’s practice – which was held in the indoor practice facility at Virginia Mason Athletic Center, and without helmets and pads for the players. But there was Jackson putting “some mustard” on the ball, as he put it, while playing catch.

Having passed that test without a winch or even a twinge, Jackson then participated in every phase of practice – splitting reps with Whitehurst and even getting all the snaps in one red-zone drill.

To say the rapid progress from his next-to-nothing efforts on Wednesday and Thursday to a just-about-everything performance on Friday was, well, a surprising development. Enough that coach Pete Carroll had to admit, “It’s encouraging. I think he has a chance to play if he can get through these two days.”

That is the key to whether Jackson starts today: How his shoulder felt on Saturday, and how it feels as he goes through pregame warm-ups today.

As Jackson put it after Friday’s practice, “I still kind of feel it when I throw a little bit. But I already kind of got it in my head that there’s going to be some pain when I throw a little bit, there will be a little soreness. That’s not the point. The point is having all my tools in the box so I can make all the throws and not be affected by my pec.”

Is he 100 percent? Of course not. But then which players in the NFL are entering Week 8. Jackson said he was closer to 80 percent. But that’s probably enough to give the Seahawks their best chance to win today’s game, after letting a winnable game slip through their seemingly all-thumbs hands last week in Cleveland.

Before he was injuring on a running play against the Giants, Jackson had thrown four touchdown passes in a four-quarter span – the last three against the Falcons and the first one against the Giants – after passing for two in the first three games. Under Jackson, the Seahawks had shoved their no-huddle offense into high gear, and he looked comfortable directing it.

Then came last week’s game against the Browns, when nothing worked because the offense never found its rhythm while scoring only three points – despite having a first-and-goal from the Browns’ 2-yard line. As good as Whitehurst looked after taking over for Jackson against the Giants, when he led the game-winning touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter; he looked that bad against the Browns, when he completed 12 of 30 passes for 97 yards and a 35.0 passer rating.

So rather than should the Seahawks go with Jackson today, the better question might be: Can they afford not to?

Regardless of which quarterback starts, the offense should be better because three starters who also missed the Browns game will return: running back Marshawn Lynch, tight end Zach Miller and center Max Unger.

When: Sunday, 1:15 p.m., CenturyLink Field

Records: Seahawks 2-4 and second in the NFC West; Bengals 4-2 and tied for second in the AFC North

TV: CBS (channel 7 in Seattle), with Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker

Radio: 710 ESPN and 97.3 FM, with Steve Raible, Warren Moon and Jen Mueller

Rest of the West: Cardinals (1-5) at Ravens; Rams (0-6) vs. Saints; 49ers (5-1) vs. Browns

Matchup microscope

Seahawks offense vs. Bengals defense: The first question here: Which Seahawks offense shows up? The one that generated three points, 137 yards and converted 2 of 12 third-down situations while holding the ball for only 17 minutes in last week’s loss to the Browns? Or the one that put up 27 points and rolled up 424 yards in the upset of the Giants in Week 5? The next question: How will the Seahawks handle the multitude of looks the Bengals’ No. 2-ranked will give them? The Bengals have not allowed more than 20 points or 300 yards during their three-game winning streak.

One to watch

Seahawks cornerbacks vs. Bengals WR A.J. Green: The Seahawks will have a new starter on the left side in rookie Richard Sherman – who is replacing Walter Thurmond, who was replacing Marcus Trufant. They’ll also have a new nickel back in Roy Lewis, who will be activated off the physically unable to perform list. On the right side is Brandon Browner, who will be making his seventh NFL start. All three will be matched against Green at some point, and the fourth pick overall in April’s NFL Draft leads all rookies in receptions (29), receiving yards (453) and TD catches (four). With the 6-foot-4 Browner and 6-3 Sherman, the Seahawks have the size to matchup with the 6-4 Green. But he plays even taller than he is. As Seahawks coach Pete Carroll put it, “He has a marvelous catching range. He can make catches that other guys can’t get to and do something with it when he gets it.”

Fun to watch

Bengals OT Andrew Whitworth vs. Seahawks DE Chris Clemons: The Seahawks’ “Leo” end has been all-but-unblockable in the past two games, when he has registered three of his five sacks. But Clemons has been just as disruptive playing the run. The 6-foot-7, 335-pound Whitworth has Clemons by 80 pounds and four inches, but will have problems with Clemons’ quickness off the edge – especially with the 12^th MAN in full roar when the Bengals have the ball. To disrupt the Bengals offense, the Seahawks will need to pressure rookie QB Andy Dalton. To do that, the best place to start is Clemons, the only player on the team with more than one sack.

One tough task

Bengals RB Bernard Scott vs. Seahawks run defense: Scott steps in for Cedric Benson, who has been suspended for this game after violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Scott also will be running into a Seahawks defense that is allowing 3.2 yards per carry, the best average in the league. If the Seahawks don’t win this matchup, and in convincing fashion, it could be another long afternoon.

Worth noting

RB Marshawn Lynch, TE Zach Miller and C Max Unger will return for the Seahawks after missing last week’s game, and there’s also a chance to QB Tarvaris Jackson could play. … Clemons has 16 sacks since the start of the 2010 season, which ties him for No. 10 in the NFL during that span. But 10½ of his sacks have come in road games. … The Seahawks have scored 27 first-half points. They have more than that in the third (33) and fourth (37) quarters. … The Bengals are fifth in the league in points allowed (111) and have given up 11 touchdowns in six games. But four of the TDs have come on pass plays of 25 or more yards. … Dalton has had a 100-plus passer rating in three of his six games. … He also is only the second rookie QB in Bengals history to win three games in a row. The other? Greg Cook, in 1969. … The Bengals have forced seven fumbles, which ranks second in the NFL to the Ravens (nine). … FS Reggie Nelson leads the Bengals with 39 tackles. … The Seahawks are led by LBs David Hawthorne (40) and Leroy Hill (39).