The Seattle Seahawks won’t be playing on Sunday as they are on their early bye week. This break couldn’t have come at a better time, as the team is reeling from a large number of relatively minor injuries. With two weeks off to rest and recuperate, they should be able to hit the ground running when they return to action in Week 6. Jamal Adams, Abe Lucas and Charles Cross are just a few key players who should be returning.
Let’s look ahead and see if we can predict how the next quartet of games will play out on Seattle’s schedule.
Week 6: at Cincinnati Bengals (1-3)
When the schedule first came out we circled this week as the first measuring stick game for the Seahawks to see how they’d stack up against a true Super Bowl contender. However, the Bengals have flopped out of the gate. The biggest culprit is their head coach Zac Taylor, who’s decided to play Joe Burrow through a calf injury. The results have been awful, as Burrow only has two touchdowns, two interceptions and a 33.6 QBR that ranks No. 29 in the league right now. Cincinnati has a lot of talent but until we see a healthy and functional Burrow out there Seattle has to be the favorite for this one.
Prediction: Seahawks win
Week 7: vs. Arizona Cardinals (1-3)
Arizona was supposed to be the worst team in the NFL this year. However, head coach Jonathan Gannon has them punching far above their weight. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs in particular is playing much better than expected. So far he has thrown for 814 yards, for touchdowns, zero interceptions and his QBR (67.6) ranks eighth. While they should make it interesting, the Seahawks are still a far more talented team on paper, and with their long-missing home field advantage coming back they should be able to take care of business here as well.
Prediction: Seahawks win
Week 8: vs. Cleveland Browns (2-2)
Cleveland is a tough team to get a read on, but what’s not confusing is the dominance of their defense the first month of the season. The Browns have only allowed 15 points and 196.8 yards per game so far – the lowest mark in the league by a massive margin. If Deshaun Watson (46.0 QBR) can manage to stop falling out of the boat, they’ll be a very difficult team to beat. This is the hardest game to predict on this stretch of the schedule, but we’ll take Seattle in a nail-biter.
Prediction: Seahawks win
Week 9: at Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
Going on the road against Baltimore will be the toughest test that the Seahawks face this season until they have to play the 49ers. The Ravens currently have a top-five scoring defense. In fact, their 14.5 points allowed per game matches the Niners. Also, Lamar Jackson is playing as well as he has since his MVP season in 2018. Jackson has four touchdowns, one pick and the third-best completion percentage over expected in the NFL.
Prediction: Ravens win
Analysis
If these predictions turn out to be right, then the Seahawks will finish this stretch with a 6-2 record. That probably won’t be enough to pass San Francisco for the lead within the division. However, it should make them the frontrunner in the NFC’s wild card race. They’ve already been hit hard by injuries and have managed to weather the storm. As long as they don’t lose Geno Smith or Bobby Wagner they should be in the thick of the playoff race in the second half of the season.
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