WATCH: Shanel Pratap gives a season preview for the Seattle Seahawks.
Every week this NFL season, the Global BC sports crew will be giving their predictions for the games ahead.
Except for this week. Today, they’re looking at a more basic question many NFL fans in British Columbia have – can the Seattle Seahawks get to their third straight Super Bowl?
Here’s what they had to say.
Squire Barnes: Most oddsmakers have the Seahawks over/under for wins this year at 11. The Seahawks home schedule doesn’t look that formidable, only four of their visitors made the playoffs last year, so the chances of Seattle going unbeaten at CenturyLink Field are not bad. The toughest road game is Green Bay in Week 2, so take the over in wins this season. Even with the Kam Chancellor no show, the ‘Hawks Legion still has plenty of Boom for opposing offences.
The addition of Jimmy Graham gives Russell Wilson a big time target. Remember, Seattle has been winning games (and a Super Bowl) with a receiving corps that is average at best. Graham is the best pair of hands Wilson has ever had at his disposal. There is a real opportunity of getting to a third straight Super Bowl, providing they can get home field advantage in the NFC Title game.
Jay Janower: The Seahawks are once again the favourites to win it all this year. Russell Wilson is signed to a long-term deal and the nucleus of the team that has gone to back-to-back Super Bowls is intact. So the high expectations make sense. But we have learned time and time again how hard it is to be a consistent winner in the National Football League. You need a lot of luck with injuries. Seattle has the fourth-toughest schedule in the NFL this year.
The NFC West is the strongest division in the league. You need an offensive line that can create the kind of room Marshawn Lynch needs to maneuver. These question marks are not to be taken lightly. Seattle is a playoff team, but a third straight Super Bowl? Seattle finishes 10-6.
Jay Durant: There shouldn’t be any Super Bowl hangover with this team this year. The fact they came so close again and blew it at the goal line should provide extra motivation to try and get back to the big game again and make amends. This squad can be just as formidable as they have been in the past but there could be a few surprises in the schedule this year.. Arizona will be tough in their two divisional games and could split that series.
The Packers will be looking for payback after blowing the NFC Championship game. That Panthers are a familiar foe and could be tough in Week 6. The 49ers are not nearly the team they were a few years ago but they can certainly get up for one of their rivalry games and surprise the Hawks. Seattle finishes 12-4 returning the the playoffs for a crack at another Super Bowl appearance.
Barry Deley: The Seahawks are still the best team in the NFC, but it will still be tough to get back to the Super Bowl for a third straight year. The Seahawks are still built on defence, but newly-acquired tight end Jimmy Graham will give them another offensive threat, especially in the red zone. If the Seahawks can once again get the top seed in the conference, and get home field advantage for the playoffs, they’ll be tough to beat. Seattle goes 13-3.
Shanel Pratap: The Seahawks are the favourites to win Superbowl 50, and rightfully so. Despite falling one yard short last year, Seattle is still an elite squad, and should go deep into the playoffs.
The biggest off-season move was adding Jimmy Graham, who should be the best red zone target in the NFL. Expect Marshawn Lynch to have another dominating season on the ground. Last year he racked up over 1,300 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. Russell Wilson, off his four-year, $87-million extension, should pick up where he left off, and he’ll be on a mission to make up for last year’s championship blunder.
Defensively, the Seahawks are the cream of the crop. Most of the pieces are still intact, and the LOB will give opponents fits all day long. Last year, Seattle allowed under 16 points per game, fewest in the NFL. Can’t see much changing in 2015.
The Seahawks have a tough schedule, nine games against teams that made the playoffs last season. But they have the talent and should finish 11-5, good enough for a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs. Anything less than a trip to Super Bowl 50 would be considered a disappointment for a team that was just one yard away from back-to-back titles.
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