Final predictions for the Seattle Seahawks 2024 NFL season

As this work week winds down, we can all take a collective sigh of relief as we've finally made it. It's early September, the weather is cooling, and it's finally that time of year. Seahawks football is back.

The Seattle Seahawks open up the 2024 season at home on Sunday at 1:05 pm PT against the Denver Broncos. Seattle, under rookie head coach Mike Macdonald, will start their first season without Pete Carroll since 2009. Macdonald, and his all-new staff around him, will usher in a new era of Seahawks football -- and us fans are excited.

Expectations are high, but what does a realistic 2024 season look like for Seattle? Can this re-tooled, rejuvenated Seahawks team win the NFC West? The NFC? The Super Bowl? Here are my realistic predictions for the Seattle Seahawks in 2024:

Three predictions for how the Seattle Seahawks 2024 season will go

Seattle wins double-digit games

If you're a team with a brand new head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator, you want to ease into the season. Luckily for Seattle, their first two games are at home against the disappointing Denver Broncos and on the road against the lowly New England Patriots. Ten years ago, this would've been a gauntlet, but in 2024, these games are a great way for Macdonald, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, and defensive coordinator Aden Durde to get their legs under them.

The Seahawks do have a tough stretch from October 10 -- November 17, in which they face the 49ers, Falcons, Bills, Rams, and then the 49ers again. If Seattle can win at least two of those games, I think the Seahawks can finish the season with 10 or more wins. The remainder of the schedule is fairly favorable for Seattle, who gets to play three out of the worst five teams last season.

On that last point, under Pete Carroll, it felt like Seattle always struggled against the weaker teams. Carroll seemingly could never get his players up for the games they should win, and the team would always lose a game they were heavily favored in. Mike Macdonald appears to be more of a strict personality who expects full effort and puts up with no nonsense.

Under Carroll, Seattle did always play up to superior opponents, however, and it'll be interesting to see how the team will do under Macdonald. Ultimately, I think Seattle will win the games they're supposed to win, and I think they'll surprise a few great teams. Seattle finishes 10-7.

The Seahawks barely miss out on NFC West title, earn Wild Card playoff spot

If I was a betting man, even with the turmoil in the offseason and the disappointing end to last season, I would still bet on San Francisco winning the NFC West. However, I don't think they're a 12-win team anymore. Nor do I believe Seattle is a borderline .500 team anymore.

I think Seattle will win 10 games in 2024, an improvement on last season's win total. But I do still think the 49ers will win 11 games, just enough to edge out Seattle for the NFC West title. The Rams are no slouch either, and will almost certainly finish better than .500. Arizona, the NFC West's punching bag last season, will win some games too. With a healthy Kyler Murray throwing to phenom rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., and a young, revamped defense, Arizona may finish close to .500 in 2024.

Needless to say, the NFC West will be a dogfight this season. Is there a reasonable chance Seattle can win the division? Probably! However, the issue is that the 49ers and the Rams both have a good chance of winning the division. I do think the Niners win the division, but Seattle should nab a Wildcard spot with 10 wins, finishing in second place.

Seattle wins a playoff game for the first time in five years

The last time the Seahawks won a playoff game was on January 5, 2020. That was before COVID-19 was a thing. Seattle, as a 12-5 Wild Card team, went into Philadelphia and won an ugly affair, 17-9. A rookie DK Metcalf caught seven passes for 160 yards and a touchdown. Marshawn Lynch was on that team and rushed for a touchdown. Travis Homer had 11 carries for 12 yards... it was a different time.

Since that win in Philadelphia, Seattle has lost three straight playoff games, including a home playoff game after a 12-win season and a division title, in which Seattle lost by 10 points to Jared Goff and John Wolford. Seattle completely missed the playoffs in 2021 and 2023. Under a new regime with a revitalized offense and defense, this should change in 2024.

If Seattle wins 10+ games and does not win the division, there's a good chance they can earn the top Wildcard spot and have a road game against the lowest division winner. That will most likely be the winner of the NFC South, a division that has struggled over the last few years. I predict Seattle will earn the fifth seed and travel to Atlanta to face the NFC South champion Falcons. There, the Seahawks will earn their first playoff win since January of 2020.

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