Too-Early Predictions for All 2017 Seahawks Away Games
By Lee Vowell
What chances do the Seahawks have of winning each road game?
As I wrote yesterday in a poorly written article predicting Seattle’s home games, I certainly am no great soothsayer. I am wrong a lot of the time. Seattle has a weird schedule. They play away from home two games in a row once. Even those two games are separated by the bye week, however. Here are my best guesses – with percentage of the Seahawks winning in parenthesis – on each of the Seahawks’ road games in 2017.
Week One, September 10th at the Green Bay Packers: 35%
As ridiculous as it may sound, whichever team wins this game could be the team that will have home-field advantage in the playoffs. Of course, there are 15 more games each for both teams after opening the season, but few teams that either the Packers or Seahawks face would be as important in head-to-head competition. This game is really worth a game-and-a-half. If both Green Bay and Seattle finish with the same record and both teams have the best record in the NFC, then whichever team won in week one would control home-field advantage. This is not as far-fetched as it appears.
Still, Green Bay at home is difficult to beat. The Seahawks know this as they have traveled to play the Packers in the last 729 seasons. Or at least it seems that way. (In actuality, Seattle has gone to Green Bay now in three straight years.) The home team has won the last six meetings in this matchup. Make that seven.
Week Three, September 24th at the Tennessee Titans: 51%
The Titans are getting better. They will use this early season game as measurement to where they stand in the hierarchy of the NFL. Seattle does not want to start the season 1-2 (I have the Seahawks winning in week two). Sure, the Seahawks can overcome such a start. Seattle can use this game to go on a run, however. Win in Tennessee and the Seahawks could easily have only one loss when they face the Atlanta Falcons in week eleven.
Week Five, October 8th at the Los Angeles Rams: 55%
The Rams always seem to beat the Seahawks at home, whether that home was St. Louis or Los Angeles. This year there is no Jeff Fisher to torment the Seahawks with his wizardry. That wizardry, though, appears to have only come against one team consistently: Seattle. The Seahawks are better than the Rams. Seattle should win.
Week Seven, October 22nd at the New York Giants: 65%
Eli Manning is a good quarterback, but he plays badly against Seattle. In the three games the Giants and Seahawks have played since 2011, Manning has a total of four touchdowns and nine interceptions. The Giants have been outscored 42-97. Some matchups are just one-sided, even when there is talent on both sides.
Week Ten, Thursday November 9th at the Arizona Cardinals: 60%
Arizona should give Seattle their toughest competition in the NFC West, of course. The Cardinals season, though, will be won or lost by this point in the season. Arizona is an aging team and is trying to win big this year. If they get off to a bad start, this game is meaningless. Otherwise, this is a game the Seahawks must win to take the division. Seattle is a better team. Plus, Seattle owes Arizona for two weird games last year.
Week Twelve, November 26th at the San Francisco 49ers: 80%
San Francisco is terrible. Will they be better in 2018? Possibly. By this game, though, the 49ers will probably be on their eighth quarterback.
Week Fourteen, December 10th at the Jacksonville Jaguars: 25%
Ok, I have a reason for the low percentage. Every time I go to see the Seahawks in the Eastern Time Zone, they lose (case in point, last year versus the Falcons in the playoffs and against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Plus, this is a 10 am PT start. The Seahawks are by far the better team. But I will be there so they will lose. And probably score 3 points. Blame me for this one.
Week Sixteen, December 24th at the Dallas Cowboys: 35%
This game comes so late in the year that it could be meaningless. One of the teams could be leading their division by so many games that playing their starters for the full game may not be smart. Or both teams could be battling for the playoffs. Who knows? Like I said, I am no soothsayer. Still, beating a good team on the road is difficult in the NFL. And the Cowboys are a good team.