The Seattle Seahawks are coming off a perfect 2013 NFL Preseason. Is there any chance they can continue the streak deep into the season? Though NFL seasons are difficult to predict, the Seahawks are by far this year's most complete football team heading into the 2013 regular season.
Okay, so they played backup quarterbacks and a bunch of second and third strings, but after the Seahawks' preseason performance we only learned that their roster is extremely talented and deep.
The Seahawks' season takes off against the Carolina Panthers. Don't quote me on this one, but if there's one thing I'd suggest Cam Newton to do in this Week 1 matchup. Respects to Newton for his playmaking ability, but the Seahawks' run defense was the seventh best during the preseason and these guys were 10th last year, allowing just 103.1 yards on the ground per game.
Week 1: Seahawks (1-0) 40-15
Following the Panthers, the Seahawks take on their NFC rival, San Francisco 49ers. Now, once again, you have to respect Colin Kaepernick for the way he guided the 49ers to the Super Bowl in his first games of his career. However, the Seahawks are a hard-hitting team and once again, their defense should dominate this game. This one will be close and probably dramatic.
Week 2: Seahawks (2-0) 16-13 , Week 3 Seahaws (3-0) beat Jacksonville Jaguars 41-3,
The Seahawks truly face challenges heading into Weeks 4 and 5. They travel to Houston to face the Texans, followed a visit to the Indianapolis Colts. Both the Colts and Texans were playoff teams in 2012, are there any chances we could watch a Super Bowl preview in either of these two matchups? Props to the Texans for dominating football last year, J.J. Watt truly emerged as a force and the Colts for returning back from obscuirity as Andrew Luck led them to a great season. However, once again, it's all about the Seahawks' defense.
Week 4: Seahawks (4-0) 24-16 , Week 5: Seahawks (5-0) 31-10
In Weeks 6, 7 and 8, the Seahawks face the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams. You have to like the Cardinals' and Rams' chances as they host their division rivals. The Seahawks are on a mission though and by this point, their team will be on a true roll.
Week 6 Seahawks (6-0) 38-6, Week 7 Seahawks (7-0) 27-18, Week 8 Seahawks (8-0) 27-18
So from Weeks 9-11, the Seahawks have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings. Though I don't think any of these teams will beat them, their Bye Week in 12 will be the cause of their demise. They play Week 13's Monday Night Football game against the New Orleans Saints, followed by a visit to the 49ers and then they travel east to the New York Giants.
Somewhere in the last three games, the Seahawks will earn their first loss of the year, whether it be in New York, San Francisco or New Orleans. The good news for the Seahawks is that they look capable of winning first place as it will take close to a perfect season to take the NFC West as the 49ers look primed for another season at the top of the division.
So a final record prediction? The Seahawks will finish the 2013 season 13-3.
