Seahawks Schedule Release: Busy Holiday Season for Seattle

Expectations were modest for the Seattle Seahawks ahead of the 2022 season, especially after the trade of quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos during the offseason. 

Just one year later, though, and the expectations in Seattle are dramatically different entering the upcoming season. After a resurgent season that saw Seattle earn a playoff berth, making it for a second straight season is definitely in the cards for the Seahawks.

Doing so, though, will be much easier said than done. After the release of the Seahawks' schedule on Thursday evening we now know when they'll be playing each opponent. 

The release of the schedule alone does not tell us how well or poorly the Seahawks will play in 2023, but it does give us a chance to see how things could shake out this year. 

For now, though, we will take an in-depth look at the Seahawks' schedule and highlight five key takeaways - from rough stretches to games that could be must-watch television. 

Early bye week

When your bye weeks falls in your schedule is an often underlooked aspect of how tough or easy a schedule can be. No, it doesn't have a definite correlation to season success but the placement of your bye week can be critical down the final stretch entering the playoffs. 

Unfortunately for Seattle, however, it got stuck with its bye week coming in Week 5. Rather than have a later bye week to allow for recovery and rest when the team is more banged up the Seahawks will now have to navigate 13 straight games without a break - including a short week from Week 11 to Week 12 due to their first of two Thursday night games. 

Speaking of Thursday night games

Yes, the Seahawks will have two straight Thursday night games this season, both of which will come against formidable opponents. First up is a Week 12 NFC West showdown on Thanksgiving against the San Francisco 49ers, followed a week later by a Week 13 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. 

Their Thanksgiving game will be a home game while they hit the road to take on the Cowboys. This two-game stretch won't define the season for Seattle but it does offer a litmus test just over halfway into the season to see where the Seahawks stand in the NFC pecking order. 

Weeks 14-15 just as rough

If you thought facing the 49ers and Cowboys in back-to-back weeks were tough, then Weeks 14-15 are even worse. Straight after facing two straight teams that made the playoffs last season the Seahawks play two more playoff teams and legitimate NFC contenders. 

Week 14 sees them make their return trip to complete the season series against the 49ers, while Week 15 they are right back on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. In four straight weeks the play three playoff teams, two of which were just in the NFC Championship game. Coming out of this stretch at 2-2 or 3-1 would be a big win for the Seahawks, and is entirely doable. 

Christmas Eve/New Year's Eve AFC matchups

It will be a busy holiday season for the Seahawks this year, with their game on Thanksgiving coming before games on both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve against a pair of AFC playoff hopefuls. 

Christmas Eve will be spent on the road against the Tennessee Titans followed by a return home a week later to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on New Year's Eve. Neither the Titans or Steelers made the playoffs last season, but both teams have the potential to be playoff teams in 2023 and will give Seattle a good game. 

Back-to-back playoff appearances?

Of the 17 games on the Seahawks' schedule only seven of them will be against a team that made the playoffs last season - with four of those games occuring in Weeks 12-15. Aside from that, though, the schedule has the potential to be rather favorable for Seattle. 

That being said, there is still a long time between now and the start of the season. Just because the schedule looks favorable now does not mean that come the fall it will be the same way. If the Seahawks want to make the playoffs again there is only one thing they can do to assure that happens, and that is to win games. 

You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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