The Seattle Seahawks played a thrilling shootout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a couple weeks ago. Fans hoping to see a similar dynamic play out for tonight’s game against the Houston Texans are likely to be sorely disappointed.

The name of the game for Monday Night Football is defense. Specifically, which of these two elite defensive lines can pulverize the other team’s backfield into submission the most will have a big advantage.

The Seahawks will be missing a few key pieces on this side of the ball, though – as they have in practically every game this season. Meanwhile, the Texans will go without one of their top wide receivers. Here are the inactives lists for both teams for tonight’s game.

– SS Julian Love

– CB Devon Witherspoon

– OLB Derick Hall

– OLB Jared Ivey

– OT Mason Richman

– TE Nick Kallerup

– QB Jalen Milroe

Seattle’s secondary has to get through one last week without their two Pro Bowl starters who have missed half of this season’s games so far. Both Love and Witherspoon were injured in Week 2 against the Cardinals and have not been back on the field since. Both are expected to return after the bye.

To account for their absence, the Seahawks have called up two defensive backs from their practice squad: cornerback Shaq Griffin and safety Jerrick Reed II. Fortunately, head coach Mike Macdonald won’t need to start Griffin again like last week, as Riq Woolen will be back in the lineup after sitting out Seattle’s win over Jacksonville with a concussion.

The most dangerous player on Houston’s offense is their star receiver Nico Collins, so a shorthanded defensive backfield is far from ideal. However, the Texans’ receiver room won’t be playing with a full deck, tonight. Here are their inactives.

– WR Christian Kirk

– RB Dameon Pierce

– DE Darrell Taylor

– QB Graham Mertz

– G Jarrett Kingston

– OT Trent Brown

The Texans may have had the strongest wide receiver room in the league last year, but Stefon Diggs is now in New England and Tank Dell is out the entire season as he recovers from his gruesome playoff knee injury against the Chiefs.

Kirk being out tonight leaves them another man short, but rookie receiver Jayden Higgins and tight end Dalton Schultz rank second and third on the team in receiving yards, anyway.

Safety Jaylen Reed and criminally underrated defensive end Denico Autry were listed as questionable, but both were activated from IR earlier today and are good to go.

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