We are still a few months away from the NFL season, but the schedule has been released, and it is always fun to poke around and pick out the games that should be the most fun to watch. We are breaking down all 17 games (yes, 17, the NFL added an extra game this season), and I’ll be giving a prediction on each one of them.
Week 1: AT Indianapolis
The Hawks are starting their season on the road, and it is not going to be an easy few weeks right off the bat. The Colts boast an excellent defense which is never what you want in week one when you’d like your offense to build confidence. This should be interesting as Carson Wentz makes his Colts debut. I like the Hawks to find a win and start the year off on the right note. WIN (1-0)
Week 2: VS Tennessee
The Seahawks will make their home debut in 2021 against the Titans. It’s a good thing they will be home where they’ll have the crowd back and better than ever, hopefully. The Titans are a tough team, and Derrick Henry will be looking to run through that Seattle front. If this game was on the road, I’d lean with the Titans, but I like Seattle to put on a show in front of their fans who they’ve missed dearly. WIN (2-0)
Week 3: AT Minnesota
After two really tough games, the Hawks get a crack at their first NFC opponent, and it is a much easier one. Kirk Cousins is 0-7 in his career against the Seahawks, and I don’t see that getting any easier for him here. The Minnesota defense has been bad over the last two seasons, and I can see Russ tearing it up in this one. WIN (3-0)
Week 4: VS San Francisco 49ers
Back at home, the Niners are the first NFC West opponent that the Hawks will have a shot at facing. I think the Niners will have a huge bounceback year. They dealt with more injuries in the NFL than any other team did in 2020, and Jimmy G will have some motivation for a career year. I think Kyle Shannahan is one of the best minds in the NFL, and this is going to be a tough game early in the year, even if Seattle is at home. LOSS (3-1)
Week 5: VS Los Angeles Rams
The NFL schedule-makers are not making it easy for the Hawks with another NFC West opponent, and this time, it’s a Rams team that always gives Seattle trouble and now has Matthew Stafford at the helm. This is a Thursday Night Football Game and the first of the year for the Hawks. Stafford plays really well against the Hawks with an 80 percent passer rating. The Rams always play Seattle so tough, and I think this is a tough battle on a short week with LA. LOSS (3-2)
Week 6: AT Pittsburgh Steelers
Here is the first Sunday Night Football game for the Hawks, and that is a relief that they will have a late game after needing to travel to Pittsburgh with a little extra rest. I really like this matchup for the Hawks. The Steelers offense has great wide receivers, but a very old quarterback, and I think the Steelers are getting too much hype for what they really are. I am happy to come away with a Hawks win in this one. WIN (4-2)
Week 7: VS New Orleans Saints
A third-straight primetime game for the Hawks, and I don’t really get this one. The Saints aren’t going to be the same team they were without Drew Brees, and I think it will show in this one. Hawks and Saints games used to be very entertaining, but I’m not sold on Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill to really impress me in this game. WIN (5-2)
Week 8: VS Jacksonville Jaguars
It will be fun for the 12th Man to get an up-close and personal look at Trevor Lawrence and this new-look Jaguars team. While I think Jacksonville has a nice shot at squeezing out 6-7 wins in this new era of football, I don’t think one of them will be against Russell Wilson. This could be entertaining and closer than we think, but I am not nervous about a loss in the situation. WIN (6-2)
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: AT Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay on a Sunday in November is a pretty terrifying sight to see for any opposing team. This will be the ultimate QB drama battle with two stars who looked like they wanted off their teams in the offseason. I think this will be Aaron Rodgers’s final season in Green Bay, and he is one of the best to do it at home. This could be the best game of the week, but not one that Seattle wins. LOSS (6-3)
Week 11: VS Arizona Cardinals
Last year’s Cardinals, Seahawks game in Seattle was a classic, and the Cards came away with one of their more impressive wins of the season. Kyler Murray has some new weapons on offense, and the defense got better with JJ Watt. It feels like this is a series that is oftentimes split when these teams face off. I like the Hawks to get the job done at home. WIN (7-3)
Week 12: AT Washington Football Team
The season hasn’t even started, which feels like a trap game. The Washington Football Team is not one to be made fun of anymore with Ron Rivera at the helm and a defense that looks extremely legit. This reminds me of the Seahawks / Giants game from last year. I don’t like it when the Hawks have to travel cross-country for a game in the trenches and a Monday Night game to boot is a tough one on the road. I think Washington escaped with a surprising win. LOSS (7-4)
Week 13: VS San Francisco 49ers
Coming off a loss, the Seahawks are a great franchise at adjusting to past losses, and I think getting the Niners a second time around who are an injury-prone team will do wonders for the Hawks. Who knows how many stars are still standing in San Fran come Week 13. The Niners took game one, and I think Seattle splits the season series with them here. WIN (8-4)
Week 14: AT Houston Texans
Every team needs a straightforward game in the schedule that acts as a bye week but counts for a win, and this is the one for Seattle. At this point, we have no idea if Deshaun Watson will ever play another down for the Houston Texans, and we do know that their defense is horrific, and even if Deshaun is there, he has no one to throw to anyways. This is an easy dub for the Hawks. WIN (9-4)
Week 15: AT Los Angeles Rams
Riding high off two straight wins, the Rams re-enter the schedule like a gut punch. I once again hate this matchup for the Hawks, and I really am high on the Rams coming into the year. With Matt Stafford taking over, LA and Sean McVay are poised for one of the best offenses in the league. I think LA sweeps the series here. LOSS (9-5)
Week 16: VS Chicago Bears
Back at home and playing a Bears team that boasts a great defense and just about nothing else, this is a total coin-flip. If Andy Dalton is the starting QB at this point, I feel very confident. If Justin Fields is getting his shot, I am still pretty confident. Seattle can finish strong, and I think it’s an easy win here. WIN (10-5)
Week 17: VS Detroit Lions
Again, another easy game for the Hawks right down the stretch when we know they will be in the heat of a playoff run. To win the West, the Hawks will probably need at least 11 wins, and realistically, the magic number may be 12 or 13. This is another easy game to boost the total. WIN (11-5)
Week 18: AT Arizona Cardinals
I hate that Seattle has to end their season on the road, and you know that this will be a game where the Hawks are fighting for the division, and Arizona needs a win for a wild-card spot. I previously said that this is a series that is often split, and with the Cards getting home-field advantage in this one, I am siding with them. The Hawks will finish with 11 wins, good enough for a wildcard spot. LOSS (11-6)
