Seattle Seahawks schedule 2020: Picks, predictions for every game

The Seattle Seahawks schedule for 2020 is here and, after an 11-5 season a year ago, how will Pete Carroll’s club finish up this time around?

Despite finishing with an 11-5 record last season, the Seattle Seahawks finished second in the NFC West. The San Francisco 49ers, who represented the NFC in the Super Bowl, won the division with a 13-3 record. While Seattle came up short in 2019, the Seahawks proved they can look the NFL’s best teams in the eyes and go toe to toe with divisional champions.

A string of injuries late in 2019 hampered Seattle’s playoff success. Specifically, the team lost their top three running backs to various injuries in the final six games of the year. While Chris Carson should play in Week 1 of this coming season, Rashaad Penny could land on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.  Aside from Penny, most of Seattle’s players should be healthy at the start of the regular season.

Seattle faces a tough route to the top of the NFC West. The division is arguably the best in football. No other division produced three teams with at least nine wins last season. This year, the Arizona Cardinals also pose a greater threat. The Cardinals went 5-10-1 in 2019 but recently traded for Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins and drafted Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons.

While the Los Angeles Rams, who went 9-7 last year, lost several pieces during the offseason, Sean McVay’s team always drags Seattle into close games. However, the 49ers stand out as Seattle’s greatest challenge. The Seahawks must topple the reigning NFC champs if they want to claim the title.

Per NFL rules, the Seahawks also face all NFC teams who finished second place in their divisions. That includes the improved Dallas Cowboys and ten-win Minnesota Vikings. Luckily, Seattle’s NFC South opponent is the Atlanta Falcons instead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Seahawks also play every team in the NFC East and AFC East. The NFC East was the only division won by a team that didn’t win at least ten games last season. With the New York Giants and Washington Redskins occupying the division’s basement, it’s arguably the worst division in the entire sport.

The AFC East also offers an easy schedule. The New England Patriots said goodbye to Tom Brady this offseason, leaving the team with Jarrett Stidham as the starting quarterback. The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets both finished last year with losing records. That leaves the Buffalo Bills as the only threatening team in the division.

The Seahawks took small steps over the past several seasons, but the team needs to put together another deep playoff run. Based on their schedule, this could be the year Seattle returns to the NFC Championship game.