The Seattle Seahawks are contenders this year.
That’s the way every team on their schedule should think of them. That’s also the way other potential playoff teams in either conference should see them.
First of all, they are 2-0 on the season. Not many other teams can say that. There are currently nine undefeated NFL teams after two weeks, and the Seahawks count themselves in that rarified company.
One of Seattle’s wins came at home, week one, against a tenacious Cincinnati Bengals team. The other came on the road, in a morning game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh is not an easy place to win, no matter what state the Steelers may be in this season.
This weekend, Seattle takes on the New Orleans Saints at home. Before the season began, many had penciled in the Saints as contenders. Now that Drew Brees is out, likely for several weeks, the Saints look much less formidable.
The following weekend, week four, Seattle travels to Arizona to play what should be a very beatable Cardinals team, though Seattle has sometimes faltered there.
Then, week five, Seattle hosts the Los Angeles Rams in a Titanic, Thursday night matchup. Pete Carroll, Russel Wilson, and the rest of the squad tend to perform very well in prime time. There will be much on the line, as the Rams are not only contenders themselves but are within Seattle’s very division.
From there, Seattle plays Cleveland, Baltimore, Atlanta, and then Tampa Bay. Each of those games looks very winnable as well.
Their next game, at the San Francisco 49ers in a week 10, Monday night matchup, will also likely be an epic tilt given that the 49ers look much better this season than in the previous few seasons. Suddenly, the NFC West looks like an exciting division that could go a number of ways.
That’s not a bad thing, but a good thing. The Seahawks are a rise-to-the-occasion type of team, and the more big challenges on their schedule, the better.
From there, Seattle gets a much-needed bye week and finishes out the season playing the Eagles, the Vikings, the Rams again, the Panthers, and then closes out the season by playing the 49ers and the Cardinals a final time.
Looking at all of these teams, there’s not a one of them that the Seahawks don’t look capable of beating. Not that anyone should expect an undefeated season. But getting to 10 or 12 wins looks eminently doable. And that right there ought to be enough to propel them into the playoffs.
Now, there are some who may try to point out that Seattle hasn’t done much yet. They’ve beaten a Bengals team by one point that lost their week two matchup. Then they beat a Pittsburgh team that also hasn’t won a game yet this season. But if you watched both games, you know that Seattle got better as the games went on. They are still a second-half team. A fourth-quarter team. That suggests they will get stronger as the season goes on, not worse.
The Seattle offense looks multidimensional. There are weapons aplenty in the running and passing games. The Seattle defense seems stout and should only get better with more time on task.
Russel Wilson looks as good as ever. The velocity and precision he puts on the ball is vintage Wilson to say the least. He’s seeing the field well and making good decisions. He seems healthy and at the top of his game.
Things are suddenly looking very exciting for the 12s here in the Pacific Northwest. The weather, at least in Seattle, has already turned. That’s the way we like it.
Have a favorite Northwest IPA? Do you like chicken wings? If you’re still reading, you must like football.
This is a very good place to be.
