Seattle Seahawks: Early record prediction for 2018 season

The Seattle Seahawks missed the postseason last year, going 9-7, for the first time since 2012. In an improving division the Seahawks will need to win more games in 2018.

The Seattle Seahawks were once on the verge of a dynasty, now they’re coming off of a failed season and have experienced a lot of changes in their locker room. Obviously they’re looking to bounce back and return to Super Bowl contention, but they’ll have a tricky path. In a rebuilding year, things will be difficult. At least 2018 will be a learning experience for all of Seattle’s young stars.

The Seahawks’ Week 1 opener is a rematch of Super Bowl XLVIII. They’ll face the revamped Denver Broncos and their new quarterback, Case Keenum. This is a bad matchup for the Seahawks.

Denver masterfully retooled their offense and defense during the offseason and are postseason contenders. It’s unlikely the Seahawks win. For Week 2, the team will be in The Windy City to face the Chicago Bears. Regardless of how much Mitchell Trubisky has improved, that should be an easy win for Russell Wilson and company.

The Dallas Cowboys will come to Seattle for Week 3. Their defense is underwhelming, but their offense is loaded with star players. The Seahawks will lose that one in a shootout. Week 4 is the Seahawks’ first inter-divisional match, and it’s in the desert against the Arizona Cardinals. Even with the return of David Johnson, no way the Seahawks will lose. At the end of the week, I have them at 2-2.

Week 5 will be the team’s toughest challenge up to that point. The Los Angeles Rams will visit Seattle with their team full of Pro Bowlers and All-Pros. Advantage: Rams. For Week 6 the Seahawks will travel to play the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders were underwhelming last year and in Jon Gruden’s first year back with the team I don’t believe there will be any major improvement. The Seahawks will get a surprising win. The following week is their bye. Pete Carroll and his staff will be working overtime to make adjustments to the 3-3 squad.

Week 8 brings another winnable game, this time against the Detroit Lions. The Seahawks will pull off that win, but will fall to the improved Los Angeles Chargers the next week. That will keep them even at 4-4. The following week is the rematch against the Rams and will be another loss for the Seahawks.

By the time Week 11 rolls around, things will be looking desperate for the 4-5 Seahawks. They’ll need to put together a strong run of wins late in the season to snag a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive NFC. Things won’t be easy.

Their Week 11 opponent will be the Green Bay Packers and it will be Wilson dueling Aaron Rodgers in a make-or-break game for Seattle. That’s a matchup that should be one of the best of the entire 2018 season and one I’m looking forward to. But I just don’t see how they’ll be able to outgun the Packers though. They’ll fall to 4-6 but scrape together an uplifting win the following at the expense of the Carolina Panthers.

Week 13 has the San Francisco 49ers visiting Seattle for their first game of the season. The 49ers have improved a ton since last year, but the Seahawks should still be able to handle their old rivals. That puts them back up to .500 at 6-6. The next game is almost a guaranteed loss against the surging Minnesota Vikings, who are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Week 15 is another game against the 49ers, but this time I have Jimmy Garoppolo‘s team coming out on top.

That leaves the Seahawks at 7-7 with just two games left, one against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16 and their season finale against the Cardinals. I believe that the Seahawks are good enough to win both games, even though the matchup with the Chiefs will be difficult.

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My final prediction for the Seahawks record is 9-7, the same as in 2017. And just like in 2017, they’ll will miss the postseason. It isn’t that surprising — after all, the Seahawks are in the middle of retooling their defense and are still adding to their offense. 2019 will give the team a chance to show the fruits of its hard work, but 2018 won’t be so rewarding.