3 reasons to have great hopes for the Seattle Seahawks for the rest of 2023

Seattle worst-case finish might still get them in the playoffs

Seattle is 5-2 and currently the second seed in the NFC. There is more than half the season to be played, of course, but the Seahawks are in a good spot right now. The issue is that the toughest stretch of their season is about to be upon us. Seattle faces a tough Baltimore Ravens team in Week 9, then has two winnable games, and then a murderer's row of games happens.

How many games does a team need to win to get into the postseason? In 2022, both the New York Giants and the Seahawks made the playoffs by winning 9 games. That number could be realistic again. In the current playoff standings, the final spot is held by the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints, both of whom are 4-4. A 9-8 team making the postseason should be expected.

For Seattle to finish 9-8, they would need to go 4-5 the rest of the way. Let's assume the worst happens and Seattle loses twice to the 49ers, once to the Ravens, Eagles, and Cowboys, but Seattle beats the Cardinals, Titans, Steelers, Rams. That is realistic, right? But expecting something like that to play out also disrespects the way head coach Pete Carroll has got his teams to play in important games over a decade-plus.

Seattle might lose to one of the teams I mentioned they could beat, but Seattle could win two of the games I mentioned they might lose. If Seattle can get to 10 wins, they will almost certainly be in the playoffs. But if Geno Smith plays consistently better and the defense improves even more, Seattle could get to 11 or 12 wins and be a dangerous team in the postseason.

More Seattle Seahawks news and analysis