Seahawks vs. Colts – Week 15
- Date: December 14
- Time: 1:25 p.m. PT
- Channel: CBS
- Venue: Lumen Field
The Colts are a very difficult team to predict. They have been the definition of a middle-of-the road team, playing exactly five-hundred ball over the last two seasons. Sounds kind of like Seattle, doesn’t it?
What makes them even more difficult to figure is the huge question mark at quarterback. Showing shocking impatience, they seem prepared to abandon Anthony Richardson despite knowing the unpolished talent would need a couple of years to mature. That would leave Daniel Jones, another resurrection project from the Giants, as their leader.
The Colts have talent, and tight end Tyler Warren could be this year’s breakout rookie. But until they show that they know what to do with that talent, they seem to be stuck in the mud. I think Seattle takes care of business at home against a beatable team.
Prediction: Win (9-5)
Now, onto the biggest showdown.
Seahawks vs. Rams – Week 16
- Date: December 18
- Time: 5:15 p.m. PT
- Channel: Prime
- Venue: Lumen Field
This is shaping up to be a huge game. The Rams will have to travel on short rest to a rollicking Lumen Field for a national Thursday night game. If Seattle is still in contention for the playoffs, this could be one of the biggest statement games the Hawks will have played in the past three seasons.
If both teams are relatively healthy and they are roughly where I think they will be in the standings, I think Seattle will put up a good fight. But can they offset a better quarterback, better receivers, a better offensive line, and a better offensive coach? The defense will have to come up big.
I just don’t think they are quite good enough yet to win this kind of game.
Prediction: Loss (9-6)
The division title probably vanishes at this point, but Seattle should still be very much in contention for a wild card spot.
Seahawks at Panthers – Week 17
- Date: TBD
- Time: TBD
- Channel: TBD
- Venue: Bank of America Stadium
This is the game on the Hawks' schedule that scares me the most. Everyone will have this marked in permanent ink as a win. The Panthers are a laughingstock. They will be travelling about a million miles, and their season will almost certainly be meaningless by this point. Seattle should win it in a walk.
But if you look at what Dave Canales did toward the end of last year, you begin to see a different picture. The most unknown coach in the league won two of his final three games to finish at 5-12. Nothing to write home about but maybe a little bit better than expected. What he did leading up to those final games was even more impressive.
After their bye week, the Panthers lost three straight games against playoff teams – Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and Philadelphia – by a combined 12 points. They took Tampa to overtime. They lost to the ’23 Super Bowl champs on a last-second field goal, and took a lead into the fourth quarter against the ’24 champions.
This is not a team to be taken lightly, and I worry very much that coming off an emotional game against the Rams, that is exactly what the Hawks will do.
Prediction: Loss (9-7)
All will seem lost at this point. I will probably write that very thing following this game.
Seahawks at 49ers – Week 18
- Date: TBD
- Time: TBD
- Channel: TBD
- Venue: Levis Stadium
If the Hawks risk missing out on the playoffs yet again due to a late-season collapse against the likes of Carolina, it makes the final showdown with San Francisco an existential contest for Mike Macdonald. It would be hard to fire a coach after two straight winning seasons, but the NFL is fickle.
I think Seattle will play the game of the season with the playoffs on the line. The 49ers are a massive hurdle for any team in the NFC West, but they are getting old. The team I have beating the Seahawks to open the season will not likely be the same by week 18.
Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams have struggled to stay on the field late. Without them, San Francisco becomes a less formidable challenge.
I don’t think Seattle needs the 49ers' injuries to win this game. I think this is the game where a light switch goes on for Mike Macdonald. He will have two full seasons as head coach, and one full season with his new offensive program.
He will know the right buttons to push at the most important moment of the year. I look for a rookie – someone like Nick Emmanwori or Elijah Arroyo – to announce his presence in a big way at the biggest of moments.
Prediction: Win (10-7)
Will a second straight 10-7 mark keep the Seahawks just outside the playoffs yet again? I don’t think so. I think Seattle snags the final wild card spot and quite possibly gets a final shot at the Rams in the first round of the playoffs.