Seattle Seahawks: The Road to a 15-1 Record
By Todd Pheifer
Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Seahawks are off to their best start in franchise history. At 9-1, they are in great shape to earn a spot in the playoffs and make a serious run at the Super Bowl.
You always have to be careful with confidence in sports, particularly when you are talking about a violent league like the NFL. Momentum can change very quickly. Despite a convincing 33-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10, the wins over the prior two weeks were shaky at best.
Granted, the regular season record is not a direct indication of how easily it will be to win a championship. Plenty of teams that dominate during the regular season have failed to achieve greatness in the playoffs. At the same time, it has not been unusual in recent years for a wild-card team to get hot at just the right time.
For the Seahawks a 15-1 record would be evidence that this team was able to persevere through a long, arduous season and that Russell Wilson was able to be the leader that everyone hoped he would be. This type of regular-season finish would show that Seattle was able to live up to the preseason hype.
If the Seahawks go 15-1, it would also mean that the Seahawks were able to beat the San Francisco 49ers twice during the regular season, including a big win on the road. At this point of the season, that game on December 8 is the toughest game left on the schedule.
In addition to San Francisco, the Seahawks must face the New Orleans Saints at the Clink, but Seattle should be well-rested after the bye week. Other than that, the only semi-major challenge may be the pesky St. Louis Rams, who were a tough matchup for the Seahawks when they played on Monday Night Football.
Nothing can be taken for granted, but the rest of the schedule sets up very nicely for the Seahawks.
The more important outcome is that a 15-1 finish ensures the Seahawks would have homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Certainly the ‘Hawks have shown that they can win tough games on the road this season. Still, wouldn’t it be great to reward the loyal fans at CenturyLink Field with home playoff games?
How cool would it be for the Seahawks to pump their ticket to the Super Bowl in front of the hometown crowd? A 15-1 record could be the first step towards that reality.