The Seattle Seahawks may no longer have the star power from their Super Bowl-contending teams of years past. But, they still have enough talent to create lineup mismatches that provide an easy path to victory.
It’s imperative for any team to get off to a quick start and take advantage of playing inferior opponents. If not, then an easy game on the schedule becomes an unexpected tough affair.
The Seahawks 2019 schedule is very manageable, but the key to securing a playoff berth will be dominating their weaker divisional rivals despite them being more familiar opponents.
Seattle Seahawks Most Difficult Games
Seattle Seahawks Easiest Games in 2019
9) Week 15 at Carolina Panthers
This contest should be a low-scoring affair as the winner could be decided by which team runs the football more efficiently. A Seahawks road win against the Carolina Panthers could send both teams spiraling in different directions; a victory of this nature is monumental for your chances to make the postseason. The Panthers hope Cam Newton has recovered fully from offseason shoulder surgery and is able to perform at his MVP-level of play once again.
10) Week 7 vs Baltimore Ravens
This road matchup doesn’t seem to favor the Ravens. Lamar Jackson hasn’t disproven the notion of being a one-dimensional quarterback at the moment. He’s a terrific open-field runner on design rushing plays, but his passing skills are poor. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to expect the Seahawks to disguise their pass coverage schemes, which should confuse the young quarterback. The pass rush cannot let Jackson escape the pocket or he will make plays with his athleticism. However, this game will best be remembered for Earl Thomas’ return to the Link. The ovation should be loud on his first appearance in the contest. And you can bet Wilson will challenge his former teammate deep once or twice in the game.
11) Week 9 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Seahawks are matching up against former division foe, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, who will have a three-game winning streak at CenturyLink Field on the line in this contest. Arians came out of retirement to mentor Jameis Winston at the quarterback position, who has talent but is highly-erratic with his decision-making in the pocket. The Seahawks pass rush might be turned loose to see how Winston handles the pressure.
12) Week 10 at San Francisco 49ers
Questions and doubt surround the San Francisco 49ers as their overall success depends heavily on the current health and play of their young star quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo. The Niners offensive line will have to protect him since the Seahawks pass rush could be rounding into the shape at this point in the season. Plus, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan must identify who are the playmakers on his roster that compliments Jimmy G in the passing game.
13) Week 4 vs Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have changed the culture inside the franchise. They have a new head coach (Kliff Kingsbury) and a new starting quarterback (Kyler Murray), which is often a recipe for disaster against an NFL defense. Heading into this contest, the Seahawks lone concern could be not knowing how to defend against a Kingsbury offense. Another unknown factor could be trying to contain Murray inside the pocket; his mobility is an area of concern. The one positive for the Seahawks is the absence of Patrick Peterson from the Cardinals defense. He will be sitting out the final game of a four-game league suspension.
14) Week 16 vs Arizona Cardinals
This matchup late into the season could be a gift for the Seahawks as the Cards could still be trying to find themselves inside Kingsbury’s system. It will be quite interesting to see how far along the Cards rebuild will be at this point in the season. It could be a telltale sign of their offseason moves. The Cardinals could be battling for a top pick in next Spring’s NFL Draft or Murray may have played well enough for the fans to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
15) Week 17 vs San Francisco 49ers
The Seahawks could be playing for their playoff life in this season-ending finale against the Niners. Often, the outcomes of divisional games have a major impact on the playoff standings. This contest should be another tight NFC West encounter that could come down to the game’s final possession.
16) Week 1 vs Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are the perfect opponent to open the season against as they have a first-year head coach (Zac Taylor) and their star receiver (A.J. Green) is out with an ankle injury. From a team chemistry standpoint, the Seahawks should be better than the Bengals in all three phases of the game. Carroll’s main concern should be to utilize the entire roster in this opener, so to ease the starters back into regular-season mode.
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