Remaining schedule appears tough for Seahawks coming out of mini-bye

A tough week for the Seahawks at least ended with a little bit of good news Sunday.

Green Bay’s 34-13 win over Arizona meant the Seahawks will enter week seven in a tie with only the 49ers atop the NFC West.

Had Arizona won, the Cardinals would have joined the deadlock atop the NFC West and technically would have been in first place due to tiebreakers, with the 49ers second and the Seahawks third.

Instead, the NFC West looks like this after week six: 1. 49ers 3-3; 2. Seahawks 3-3; 3. Arizona 2-4; 4. Los Angeles Rams 1-4.

The 49ers obviously have the tiebreaker on Seattle right now due to beating the Seahawks 36-24 Thursday night, Seattle’s third straight loss.

But as illustrated by Seattle’s descent from 3-0 and two games ahead of everyone else in the NFC West after week three to 3-3 and in second after week six, things can change quickly in the NFL.

As the Seahawks end their mini-bye by returning to practice Monday afternoon, let’s look at what awaits them the final 11 games of the season.

Sunday, at Atlanta (4-2): The Seahawks will face a hot team next Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta’s 38-20 win Sunday at Carolina was its third in a row. The Falcons have scored a combined 100 points in those three contests behind the passing of Kirk Cousins and the two-headed running back attack of Tyler Allgeier (105 yards Sunday) and Bijan Robinson (95). And their only loss since a week one defeat to the Steelers was a 22-17 loss to the undefeated and two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs that went down to the final minute.

Oct. 27, vs. Buffalo (3-2, plays at New York Jets Monday night): The Bills have lost their last two following a 3-0 start, outscored by the Ravens and Texans 68-30. But games against the Jets and then Tennessee at home give the Bills a chance to get back on track before their trek to Seattle.

Nov. 3, vs. LA Rams (1-4): The Rams host the Raiders and the Vikings the next two weeks before coming to Seattle. The Rams are hoping both of injured standout receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua will be back by the time they host the Seahawks (Kupp might be back this week). So this game could be a much tougher task for Seattle than the current state of the Rams might indicate.

Nov. 10, bye: When the schedule was announced, this felt like a pretty perfectly timed bye, arriving right in the middle of the season. If Seattle wins at least two of its next three, including the Rams game, then maybe it still will feel that way. 

Nov. 17, at San Francisco (3-3): The 49ers have a tough stretch before they next play the Seahawks, hosting Kansas City and Dallas (OK, maybe the Cowboys won’t be so tough anymore) the next two weeks, and then after their bye, playing at Tampa Bay. So if the Seahawks can win at least two of the next three, first place could well be on the line again when this game rolls around. To state an obvious point, since the 49ers have already beaten the Seahawks once, this one will pretty much be a must-win for Seattle if it wants to win the division, since a second SF win would also give the 49ers the head-to-head tiebreaker. 

Nov. 24, vs. Arizona (2-4): The Cardinals hired Jonathan Gannon before the 2023 season to give them a defense that could complement the Kyler Murray-led offense. But so far that hasn’t happened — Arizona ranked 27^th in the NFL in points allowed at 25.8 per game before giving up 34 to the Packers Sunday. So Seattle should be able to score in this one. The question will be stopping Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr.

Dec. 1, at New York Jets (2-3 before hosting Bills Monday): Who knows what to expect out of the Jets when this game arrives. The Jets, though, will be coming off their bye. And despite the disappointing start that resulted in the firing of head coach Robert Saleh this week, the Jets rank fifth in the NFL in fewest points allowed before Monday night. So this game won’t be easy.

Dec. 8: at Arizona (2-4): Two games in 15 days against the same team will make for an interesting dynamic. Beating the same team twice in 15 days might also be somewhat tricky. Seattle simply hopes it’s the team going for the sweep in this one.

Dec. 15, vs. Green Bay (4-2): This Sunday night game begins a three-game stretch against the NFC North that suddenly looks a bit more challenging than it did when the schedule was announced in the spring. Jordan Love has thrown six touchdown passes the last two games in wins over the Rams and Cardinals and appears to be hitting his stride. The Packers will also have some extra rest, playing at Detroit on Thursday night, Dec. 5.

Dec. 22, vs. Minnesota (5-0): The Vikings, who had a bye Sunday, remain the surprise of the NFL as one of just two undefeated teams along with the Chiefs, who also had their bye Sunday. The Vikings have an NFL-best plus-63 point differential and rank top six in both total offense and defense. The Seahawks will at least catch them on short rest as the Vikings host Chicago on Monday night, Dec. 16.

Dec. 26, at Chicago (4-2): Completing the journey through the NFC North is a trip to Chicago to play the Bears the night after Christmas. We’ll go out on a limb and say that weather might be a factor. The Bears also seem to be finding their footing having won three in a row with rookie QB Caleb Williams having thrown nine TD passes in the last four games, four Sunday in a blowout of the Jaguars. Seattle’s defense will be tested.

Jan. 4-5: at LA Rams (1-4): The Rams may have nothing to play for in this one. Of course, the hope is that also won’t be true of the Seahawks. Week 18 road games rarely prove to be easy no matter the situation, though.

How tough a schedule turns out to be depends greatly on the health and overall state of the team at kickoff. 

But Seattle’s three-game losing streak made clear no game can be considered a sure win, assuming those ever exist in the NFL in the first place.

And the Vegas odds also paint it in a challenging light for Seattle.

As of Sunday afternoon, point spreads listed on VegasInsider.com had Seattle favored in only three games — the home contests with the Rams (1.5 points), Arizona (three) and Minnesota (2.5). There are no lines for the week 18 games. But Seattle was listed as an underdog in each of the other seven, from one-point at Arizona and against Green Bay, to as much as nine for the rematch against the 49ers.