The NFL announced the 2014 regular season schedule on Wednesday. Dates and times (while “flexible”) are now set for each team and their opponents. Let’s take a look at what the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks are up against this coming season.
First, here is the full schedule – all game times in PT:
Week 1: Thursday, 9/4 vs. Green Bay Packers, 5:30pm, NBC
Week 2: Sunday, 9/14 @ San Diego Chargers, 1:05pm, FOX
Week 3: Sunday, 9/21 vs. Denver Broncos, 1:25pm, CBS
Week 4: Bye Week
Week 5: Monday, 10/6 @ Washington Redskins, 5:30pm, ESPN
Week 6: Sunday, 10/12 vs. Dallas Cowboys, 1:25pm, FOX
Week 7: Sunday, 10/19 @ St. Louis Rams, 10am, FOX
Week 8: Sunday, 10/26 @ Carolina Panthers, 10am, FOX
Week 9: Sunday, 11/2 vs. Oakland Raiders, 1:25pm, CBS
Week 10: Sunday, 11/9 vs. New York Giants, 1:25pm, FOX
Week 11: Sunday, 11/16 @ Kansas City Chiefs, 10am, FOX
Week 12: Sunday, 11/23 vs. Arizona Cardinals, 1:25pm, FOX
Week 13: Thursday, 11/27 @ San Francisco 49ers, 5:30pm, NBC
Week 14: Sunday, 12/7 @ Philadelphia Eagles, 10am, FOX
Week 15: Sunday, 12/14 vs. San Francisco 49ers, 1:25pm, FOX
Week 16: Sunday, 12/21 @ Arizona Cardinals, 5:30pm, NBC
Week 17: Sunday, 12/28 vs. St. Louis Rams, 1:25pm, FOX
Beyond playing each divisional foe twice, the Seahawks (along with the rest of the NFC West) will face off against the AFC West and the NFC East. Looking back at 2013 season records is almost a moot point as there is so much turnover each and every year in the league these days and inevitably, at least one playoff team next season will come from out of nowhere.
The Seahawks currently have four primetime games – Opening night 9/4, MNF 10/6, Thanksgiving night 11/27, and Sunday night 12/21. Opening night is sure to be insane in the Emerald City as the team will celebrate its Super Bowl Championship at Century Link Field.
While it has been a problem in season’s past, 10am games on the east coast for the Seahawks in 2013 were not an issue, as the team went 4-1 in those early games. However, for what it is worth, the Seahawks do play four games at 10am next season. Two of these 10am games are back-to-back, which might be a good thing for the team when thinking about having to make adjustments to their routine.
The opening three games of the season could prove to be very challenging for Seattle – vs. Green Bay, @ San Diego, vs. Denver Broncos in a Super Bowl rematch. However, with two of these games at home, another stretch of games might be even tougher; starting in Week 11 Seattle plays three of four games on the road beginning with Kansas City, then home against a very tough Arizona club, on the road for that Thanksgiving game in San Francisco, and wrapping up in Philadelphia. You could also add the following week’s game on 12/14 vs. San Francisco again to this potentially treacherous path.