Even so, this club is heading into 2017 as once again one of the NFL favorites. They are expected to capture the NFC West once again and reach double-digit victories for the sixth consecutive season. The oddsmakers have a high belief in Seattle and have set the projected win total quite high this year. The defensive core should once again be elite but it is aging, while there are questions on the offensive end.
It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks can come away with another dominant season, or if 2017 is the beginning of a decline for one of the most successful teams in the NFL over the past half-decade,
Seattle Seahawks Opening Futures Odds at BookMaker.eu
Seahawks Over 10.5 Wins -115
Seahawks Under 10.5 Wins -115
2017 Seattle Seahawks Offense Preview
This side of the ball is the big question mark. The Seahawks averaged 22.1 points per game last season, which was 18th in the NFL. Quarterback Russell Wilson is a star, and he has some nice pass-catching options in Doug Baldwin, Jimmy Graham and Tyler Lockett. However, the offensive line was a disaster last time and it rarely gave him time to scan the field through multiple progressions.
Wilson also battled leg injuries in 2016, and he didn’t have the type of statistical season that he’s put together in the past. The Seahawks struggled to run the ball at times in their first year post-Marshawn Lynch, and have tried to remedy that by adding former Packers tailback Eddie Lacy to the fold. He is a bruising back similar to Lynch, and if he can get the ground game going the Seahawks’ ceiling goes up substantially.
The results will likely again come down to an offensive line that absolutely must improve. If not, it will make it really tough for the Seahawks to reach 11 victories in 2017.
2017 Seattle Seahawks Defense Preview
Even if Seattle isn’t great offensively, the defense will once again carry the club. The Seahawks boast an All-Star collection of talent everywhere. They have stars at defensive end in Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, at linebacker in Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, as well as in the secondary with Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor.
Thomas got injured last season and that really hurt the unit, but if he stays healthy it should once again be among the best in the NFL. Trade talks swirled around Sherman this offseason, but the outspoken cornerback returns and should once again be an elite cover man.
All of these players are veterans and it’s possible some of their play starts to decline in the foreseeable future, but for now it seems like the defense will once again lock down opposing offenses and help the team push for a high playoff seed.
2017 Seattle Seahawks Schedule Analysis
Seattle’s schedule is a mixed bag. On one hand it has to play the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals. But on the other, there are a ton of favorable matchups against the likes of the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Seattle gets the benefit of only one early East Coast trip, which West Coast teams have traditionally had trouble in. Overall, while the Seahawks have to play a first-place schedule after winning the division a season ago, it’s not as difficult as some of the other teams’ slates. They benefit from playing in the NFC West and getting matched up with the AFC South.
The Final Verdict
This one is going to be really close. The Seahawks are undoubtedly a good team and should once again reach double digits in wins. The question is, will it be 10 or 11? That’s the crux of the projected win total, and it may not be decided until the last few weeks of the season.
The offensive line issues are just too glaring. If Seattle also loses a key player or two to injury, that will be just enough for it to fall short of expectations. The Seahawks should return to the postseason once again in 2017, but will do so at 10-6, which means they will narrowly miss surpassing the projected win total.
NFL Odds: Seattle Seahawks Under 10.5 Wins (-115)
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