The Seattle Seahawks need a win in Week 2. Is it far too early to freak out about how the 2025 season is going to go? Of course, but the NFC West is difficult, so the team can't wait too long to find its way. The issue is that the upcoming Pittsburgh Steelers game is not going to be easy for several reasons.
One is that Seattle will be taking on former Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf for the first time. Metcalf could approach the matchup as a bit of a revenge game (though, if anything, it is Seattle who should want the revenge), and a motivated Metcalf is usually a great Metcalf.
Another problem might be that 850-year-old Aaron Rodgers appeared to be much better in Week 1 than he has been in the last two seasons. That was when he played for the awful New York Jets, and before he played for the steady Steelers. Rodgers is better because his team's culture is better.
The Seattle Seahawks should have a clear picture of Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers
Rodgers got his own revenge on the Jets in Week 1 by going 22 for 30 passing for 244 yards and four touchdowns. He was very efficient and led his offense to 34 points. That's playing winning football.
But there is a catch to what Rodgers and his offense were doing. Maybe the Jets didn't game-plan for that, while the Seattle Seahawks can. The quarterback didn't throw deep very much and instead tried to dink and dunk his team down the field.
Of his 30 passes, eight were screens. Only one pass went more than 20 yards in the air. Rodgers is unlikely to challenge the Seahawks deep, even though DK Metcalf might want him to. This should mean that Mike Macdonald uses Devon Witherspoon a bunch on blitzes disguised as nickelback coverage.
An issue for Seattle, however, might be that Riq Woolen could be more exposed than he was in Week 1. Woolen's strength (at least, what should be his strength) is playing in the middle-deep in coverage. A weakness has been playing physically at the line of scrimmage. He could get lost on many crossing patterns versus Pittsburgh.
Week 2 is also going to be one in which rookie safety Nick Emmanwori will be missed. He appears ready to excel at the line of scrimmage, but his ankle injury is going to keep him out.
No Emmanwori, and Woolen's weaknesses probably mean Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers are going to stick with a short passing game. If the Seattle Seahawks are going to win, linebackers Tyrice Knight and Ernest Jones IV are going to have to be great.