Will the NFC West be a cakewalk again for the Seahawks?
By Luke Allen
The NFC West is arguably the worst division in football today. Seattle Seahawks not included.
Three out of the four NFC West teams finished with losing records in 2016.
The Arizona Cardinals seem to be on the decline once again after taking the reigns of the division for a single season in 2015.
The Los Angeles Rams still have one of the least talented rosters in the NFL, led by the winless Jared Goff.
The San Francisco 49ers may rival the Cleveland Browns for the worst overall record this season, as they’re in hardcore rebuild-mode.
The Seahawks should absolutely run away with the division.
However, when the odds look the best on paper, that’s not necessarily the best for the Seahawks. Seattle performs best when their backs are against the wall.
I would take the Seahawks in New England before I’d take them at home facing the Rams.
They win the games they should lose on paper, and suffer defeats they should absolutely win.
With that being said, the Seahawks will still come out on top in the west once the season is over, but not by an overwhelming margin.
The Seahawks should win anywhere from 10-13 games this season.
With the talent on the roster and the mild upcoming schedule, the Seahawks should have no problem posting their sixth consecutive 10-win season and finding themselves in the postseason.
Assuming they suffer no severe injuries along the way (knock on wood), the only problem facing Seattle is their schedule may be too easy.
If it was up to me, I’d have the Seahawks as six point underdogs every week, since that’s when they perform to their zenith.
However, with the not-so-great opponents they have in front of them in 2017, they will most likely only be the underdog no more than four games.
Take Jacksonville for example: The Jaguars are not a good team. They do not have a good quarterback, or defense, or anything really.
However, they do have home field advantage. In Jacksonville, Florida. At 10:00 AM Pacific time.
This spells disaster for the Seahawks, as recently they’ve been an atrocious team in Florida. (The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Seattle 14-5 last season.)
Best case scenario
The best possible outcome is for the Seahawks to sweep the division and lose a few away games and finish with 13 wins and a first-round bye in the playoffs, as the road to the Super Bowl goes through Seattle.
Worst case scenario
The worst plausible way this season ends is with the Seahawks sneaking out of the division at 9-7 and losing in New Jersey to the New York Giants in the first round and Tom Brady wins his sixth ring.
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Most likely scenario
The most likely scenario is the Seahawks win the NFC West at 11-5, and earn the #3 seed in the NFC, hosting a wild card playoff game. I truly don’t believe any other team in the NFC West can compete for the division, and I’m hoping the core of the team can stay healthy for another deep playoff run.