This past year, the Seattle Seahawks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011. And there are a lot of familiar faces no longer with the team.
It wasn’t that long ago that the Seattle Seahawks were the top dog in the NFC. In 2012, the franchise drafted quarterback Russell Wilson to complement a power ground game and one of the league’s most formidable defensive units. One year later, it paid off with a rousing victory in Super Bowl XLVIII over the explosive Denver Broncos. A second straight trip to the big game would follow but the team fell short in the closing seconds against the New England Patriots.
Starting with Wilson’s debut campaign, Pete Carroll’s club would make a total of five consecutive playoff appearances, a streak that ended this past year despite a 9-7 finish. There are a lot of familiar faces that are no longer in the Pacific Northwest. So are the ‘Hawks still capable of contending within their own improving division?
Home: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings
Away: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders
Here is how the complete schedule for Carroll’s Seahawks, week-by-week, lays out:
Week 1: at DEN – 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 2: at CHI – 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 3: vs. DAL – 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 4: at AZ – 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 5: vs. LAR – 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 6: at OAK – 1 p.m. ET
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: at DET – 1 p.m. ET
Week 9: vs. LAC – 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 10: at LAR – 4:25 p.m. ET
Week 11: vs. GB – 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 12: at CAR – 1 p.m. ET
Week 13: vs. SF – 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 14: vs. MIN – 8:15 p.m. ET
Week 15: at SF – 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 16: vs. KC – 8:20 p.m. ET
Week 17: vs. AZ – 4:25 p.m. ET
The biggest news this offseason, when it came to the club, was the departures of defensive standouts Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett. The star cornerback was released and quickly signed with the rival San Francisco 49ers. Bennett was dealt to the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
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Are the Seattle Seahawks rebuilding? Is the team on the way down after an impressive run this decade? The naysayers are certainly out there. But this remains one of the better organizations and Carroll’s club is more than capable of being a playoff team in 2018.