The Seahawks head to Detroit this weekend for their third game in the Motor City in as many years, and if the previous meetings are any indication, fans should be ready for an exciting, down-to-the-wire contest.

The Seahawks won in Detroit 48-45 two seasons ago, then won in overtime 37-31 last season, and while both teams have undergone plenty of change since Week 2 of last year, especially the Seahawks who have a new coaching staff led by Mike Macdonald, there is enough talent on both teams to make another exciting game feel inevitable.

"They're a really good team, our guys are excited, and we're looking forward to getting to work," Seahawks coach Macdonald said. "… Our guys know that we're in for a 60-minute battle, maybe even longer."

Here are five things to watch when the 3-0 Seahawks face the 2-1 Lions:

1. How does the Seahawks defense handle its biggest test of this young season?

One of the best parts of Seattle's 3-0 start has been the play of Mike Macdonald's defense, which early this season ranks first in the NFL in yards-per-play allowed, second in yards allowed, fourth in points allowed, first in pass defense, first in opponent yards-per-pass-attempt, second in opponent passer rating, fourth in opponent third down percentage and tied for fifth in sacks.

Other than giving up 185 rushing yards in a win over New England, it has been a nearly perfect start for Seattle's defense. Then again, that unit has not yet faced an offense with the numbers and offensive firepower that Detroit will bring into this game. Led by veteran quarterback Jared Goff, a three-time Pro-Bowl selection, the Lions rank fourth in the league in total offense, and are equally dangerous on the ground and through the air, both due to the presence of playmakers like running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, and receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, and well as the force that is their offensive line.

"On offense, the gap-scheme married with the wide zone, play-action passes, drop-back game on time, Goff's playing fast, making fast decisions, getting the ball out of his hands to his playmakers," Macdonald said. Both runners are really dangerous in their own way. Offensive line is probably one of the best I the league if not the best, so we've got our work cut out for us."

The Seahawks know that the Lions will provide a unique challenge that will stress the defense in ways it hasn't seen so far this season, but after a great start, players on that side of the ball welcome that challenge.

"I'll take our defense over pretty much anybody in the league right now," said safety Rayshawn Jenkins. "We run, we hit, we're physical, we're smart. We're disciplined, which in my opinion, is one of the most important things that you could have on a defense… It'll be a good challenge. They're a good offense; we're a good defense, so we'll see."

2. Does Geno Smith have another huge day at Ford Field?

Conventional wisdom would suggest that an NFL team playing on the road in a hostile environment would want to lean on its defense and running game and not ask a quarterback or offensive line to do too much while staring down a dangerous pass rush buoyed by a raucous crowd.

Then again, conventional wisdom doesn't always account for things like Geno Smith on a road game heater. For whatever reason, his unflappable nerve, his ability to thrive when the odds are against him, his desire to silence, literally and figuratively, his doubters, Smith has played some of his best games on the road, and in Detroit in particular.

Two years ago when the Seahawks won a 48-45 shootout, Smith completed 23 of 30 attempts for 320 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, giving him a 132.6 passer rating, and he also rushed for 49 yards and a touchdown. Last season in Seattle's 37-31 overtime win, Smith was 32 for 41 for 328 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, a 116.3 passer rating and 20 more rushing yards. In other words, for those who didn't click on this article to do math, Smith has accounted for 717 total yards and five total touchdowns, four passing and one rushing, while not committing a single turnover.

Ideally the Seahawks will get their running game going, and with the defense playing so well, the hope would be that another massive passing performance won't be needed to pull off a victory, but should it come down to that, Smith has shown time and time again he is up for the challenge, particularly in Detroit.

"I think that's a big part of it is he can play through tough environments, just number one, a lot of experience, and he's got the right mindset," offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said. "He's got a tough mindset that he knows it's going to be tough and I think he goes into situations like that expecting it to be difficult and I think when you know that you bring your best and Geno will bring his best."

3. Can Stone Forsythe and the rest of the O-line keep Aidan Hutchinson in check again?

When the Seahawks went to Detroit early in the 2023 season, there were questions about how an offensive line minus both starting tackles would hold up against a Detroit pass rush led by Aidan Hutchinson, the No 2. overall pick in the 2022 draft, who would go on to earn Pro-Bowl honors last season after recording 11.5 sacks. None of those sacks, however, came against a Seahawks line that lost Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas the week before, leading to Stone Forsythe and Jake Curhan starting their place.

In fact, Smith was only hit and sacked once in the game, a sack late in the fourth quarter that happened when Smith scrambled around for more than 10 seconds trying to make something out of nothing on third and long. Hutchinson, meanwhile, was held to two tackles and one pass defensed. With that pass protection, Smith was able to complete 32 of 41 passes for 328 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

This year, Forsythe is back in the starting lineup due to injury, this time at right tackle where he'll see more of Hutchinson, and based on how well he has played the past two weeks, Forsythe's teammates and coaches have a ton of confidence in his ability to get the job done in Detroit for the second year in a row.

"Just steady," said offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. "I think that Stone's one of those guys that you really want to tip your cap to that he believes he still can play better, takes coaching really well, knows that there are still tricks and tools that he can access that he hasn't done yet. And I think for him that's what he continues to do is try to develop his game and eliminate weaknesses."

4. Can the defense generate some turnovers?

As mentioned earlier, there has been a lot to like about the Seahawks defense through three games, from the lockdown coverage to the pass rush to the sure tackling in the run and pass games, to, perhaps most notably, the speed and energy the defense is playing with down after down. But if there is one thing the defense would like to improve upon it is the lack of turnovers the past two weeks. The Seahawks did well in that category in Week 1, intercepting Broncos quarterback Bo Nix twice while also forcing two fumbles, recovering one, but they do not have a takeaway since that game.

Part of that has to do with opposing passing attacks not taking many chances, and as good as the Lions are on offense, they have turned the ball over four times in three games, including three interceptions thrown by Goff.

And it will no doubt be on the mind of Seattle's defensive backs that they have made big plays at Ford Field in the past two meetings, with Riq Woolen returning an interception 40 yards for a score in 2022, and Tre Brown getting his own 40-yard pick-six last season.

"Getting more turnovers," safety Rayshawn Jenkins said when asked where the defense can improve. "If I had to pick one thing, just getting more turnovers. We're doing a good job as far as third down, red zone, short yardage. I think the next step for us would just be taking the ball away."

5. Who steps up if the defensive line is short-handed?

The Seahawks saw two of their top defensive linemen, Leonard Williams and rookie Byron Murphy II, exit last week's game due to injury, with Williams suffering a rib injury and Murphy injuring his hamstring.

The status for both players is not yet known and very likely won't be until Saturday when the injury report comes out, at the earliest, or perhaps not until gameday. But with neither player able to return to Sunday's game, and with both sitting out Thursday's practice, the Seahawks will have to at least prepare for the possibility that one or both could be absent.

The Seahawks still have veterans Jarran Reed and Johnathan Hankins inside, and both played well taking on extra snaps last week, as did second-year lineman Mike Morris. The Seahawks will likely also call upon Myles Adams, who was inactive last week, and could also elevate either Matt Gotel or DeVere Levelston from the practice squad. The other consideration could be to have Dre'Mont Jones work more inside after spending more time playing as an outside linebacker so far this season. The versatile Jones has plenty of experience playing both on the edge and in the interior line, so he could bump inside to mitigate the potential loss of Williams or Murphy, particularly if Uchenna Nwosu is able to make it back this week to bolster the Seahawks' outside linebacker group.

And whoever is playing on Seattle's defensive line, the Seahawks know they they'll be facing a big challenge in the form of Detroit's offensive line and their dynamic rushing attack.

"I think you've got to embrace the challenge of every game," defensive coordinator Aden Durde said. "We played New England, we got asked similar questions (about the run game). We played this week (against Miami), and it was a different game, but it was vertical speed, and lateral speed. I think every week, you've just got to embrace the challenge that comes along with it. You know there's going to be some things that you didn't know were going to happen in the game. The more you can focus on doing it our way, we think, that's the best way of moving forward. But it's a great challenge. I'm excited."