So what do y'all think of our schedule?

[PolarVortex]

Other than the 6 games against our division opponents, we drew:
- the AFC East with two serious playoff contenders (Buffalo, Miami) and one fringe contender (NY Jets)
- the NFC North with two serious playoff contenders (Green Bay and Detroit) and a team who may go either way depending on how far their #1 draft choice can carry them (Chicago)
- Denver
- Atlanta
- NY Giants

Fortunately for us, the Miami, Buffalo, and Green Bay games are all home games. We play Detroit on the road but we beat them on the road last year. Also fortunate for us, we get 9 home games this year and 8 road games.
Unfortunately for us, after our week 10 bye, five of the last eight games are on the road.

 

[MrS]

You can never really tell how tough a schedule will be in may. Im just pissed we have a home thursday night game again.

 

[Screamin12th]

You can never really tell how tough a schedule will be in may. Im just pissed we have a home thursday night game again.

100% correct, like the Hawks got the Jets and most here including me are counting it as a win. That team has a good Defense that was 3rd in yards allowed and 12th in Points against. You put a healthy Rogers behind center and that offense no doubt will improve WHICH in turn will make the defense even better. I was looking at this game last night and was like wait... This team SHOULD beat us with a healthy Rogers in their Stadium. I don't care what our record in that stadium has been lately. That's going to be a tougher game than most think.

 

[Screamin12th]

My thoughts on the schedule is meh, we got a 3rd place schedule and it feels like it. Things could have been better for sure but the team needs to play better to get the nod on play slots and in my eyes a little more how would you say... favor from the scheduling. I saw how they do it and it was interesting but they do use records from past seasons as part of it. Trying to put the "better" games out there at "better times".

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

The one nice thing for me was a fairly soft start to get the team rolling in the right direction. Broncos, at Pats, Dolphins, at Lions, home for Giants and then the Niners and then at Falcons. Although none of those games are gimmes ( there are no gimmes in this league), it does give the team a chance to have a pretty solid first half. I look at the Broncos, Pats, Dolphins and Giants and maybe Falcons as all winnable. People may push back on the Phins but as much firepower and weapons as they have, I don't like the makeup of their team or Tua. I think coach McDonald can rattle Tua and shut those weapons down. The Ravens absolutely destroyed the Phins New Years Eve. Of course, cold weather and all that but Miami only really beat shit teams last year and their numbers were inflated by some big blowouts early vs. crap like Denver. They also don't play well on the road.
The mid season bye is nice but there are a few tough road games in the second half. My only hope is that this new staff and the boys can at least split with the Niners and Rams. Getting swept by them kills any chance for us. We will need some lucky breaks but double digit wins is very doable if we can get off to a hot start. Back to back road games at the end of the season is kinda shitty and having all but one of the NFCN match-ups in 3 weeks straight in December seems odd to me but it is what it is. I guess we will will see. As I said in the off-season thread, just want to see steady improvement and growth. A lot of unknowns with a rookie HC and all but I like the staff and the team direction overall.

 

[JMR]

I don't have much problem with the schedule. The main dislike for me is having to play SF on Thurs following a Sun game, but at least both of those are at home. I like where the bye is, and I also like that we're probably only going to have 1 cold weather game (late Dec in Chicago). NY/NJ can be a wildcard in early Dec, but it shouldn't be too bad. Another positive is the final game vs Rams (which could be very significant) is after a mini-bye. On the whole, I think it's a decent slate and the NFL did us ok.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

I like the schedule. Starts off with a couple games that are winnable in theory which is nice, imagine if the season starting with 49ers, Bills and Rams. I like the week 10 bye week, think it's ideal because after 9 weeks of play, a week off to get healthy, make adjustments to the offense and defense is exactly what the doctor ordered IMO. I feel the first Thursday night game is an advantage for the Seahawks as they are home the week prior and it's a home game while the 49ers are on the road the week prior and this is another road game for them. I'm thinking the home crowd will be stoked for this game, so another plus. Geez it would be awesome to whip the 49ers this year at least once. Overall this is a great schedule.

 

[Nosferatu]

Week 16 is a win!

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

We already knew all the opponents, so that's what it is. As for the schedule timing itself:

No London game.
Mid-Season bye.

Other points:

1. First half of season includes 2 back to back home games (keeps players healthier with less travel).
2. @ San Fran is after the bye (more time to prep/heal)
3. Two back to back away games in the second half but that includes Arizona in one set (with the Jets) and the Rams in one set (with the Bears). Jets fortunately is earlier before it gets super cold and while Chicago will be cold.. I think MacDonald can scheme fine against a rookie QB. Very winnable.
4. Arizona (x2) is bordering on the Jets/San Fran game (so San Fran, ARZ, NYJ, ARZ) and while those are not gimmies, I still don't consider Arizona a 'threat'. They are easier rebound games.
5. Both Thursday night games are after HOME games. And San Fran (one Thur night) is a home game lol.

So for the actual timing of everything, happy as a clam.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

I think we're in that 8-10 win range at the moment until we get a good first months look at the defensive setup and how it's run. Our offensive should be fine barring major injuries.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

I think we're in that 8-10 win range at the moment until we get a good first months look at the defensive setup and how it's run. Our offensive should be fine barring major injuries.

I don't think we will really know if our defense is improved much until the 49er game. We have the Dolphins and Lions so early that it will be hard to say with their good offenses, although I'm not really impressed as much as others with the Dolphins. Most new defenses take 5-6 games to really start gelling and I expect there to be a learning curve. The Giants, Pats and Donkeys are trash with questionable QBs. Pats and Donkeys with raw rookies and the Giants with either a shitty Jones that our bad defense curb stomped last year or Drew Lock who despite one fluke drive isn't a starting caliber QB. Honestly, I'll be happy if the defense shows steady growth and improvement through the season and really starts getting good by Thanksgiving. It's low expectations for me right now, I know but I won't put too much stock into the early season. Gonna be a lot more of who we play as much as how we play. We started last year at 6-3 only to run into a 6 game stretch where the only easy game was Washington. At least we don't have that to deal with this year but it's a big climb from bottom of the league in defense to even average. I'll just hope for that for now and maybe see them really getting it going late in the season when it matters.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

I don't think we will really know if our defense is improved much until the 49er game. We have the Dolphins and Lions so early that it will be hard to say with their good offenses, although I'm not really impressed as much as others with the Dolphins. Most new defenses take 5-6 games to really start gelling and I expect there to be a learning curve. The Giants, Pats and Donkeys are trash with questionable QBs. Pats and Donkeys with raw rookies and the Giants with either a shitty Jones that our bad defense curb stomped last year or Drew Lock who despite one fluke drive isn't a starting caliber QB. Honestly, I'll be happy if the defense shows steady growth and improvement through the season and really starts getting good by Thanksgiving. It's low expectations for me right now, I know but I won't put too much stock into the early season. Gonna be a lot more of who we play as much as how we play. We started last year at 6-3 only to run into a 6 game stretch where the only easy game was Washington. At least we don't have that to deal with this year but it's a big climb from bottom of the league in defense to even average. I'll just hope for that for now and maybe see them really getting it going late in the season when it matters.

Defense wasn't very good against meh teams of last year so granted yes the early slate of games are against meh teams, I still need to see pressure on QB, sacks and slowing down the run game. I have average expectations as the defense wasn't a complete overhaul, just different scheme to learn.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Defense wasn't very good against meh teams of last year so granted yes the early slate of games are against meh teams, I still need to see pressure on QB, sacks and slowing down the run game. I have average expectations as the defense wasn't a complete overhaul, just different scheme to learn.

Yeah, my expectations are pretty average as well just because it will take some getting used to. The pressures, sacks etc thing is interesting. Nwosu was really the teams only consistent pass rusher and when he got hurt, despite Brooks and Mafe, etc having some moments, we really didn't have much. Even Nwosu isn't a Bosa, Watt, Garrett, Parsons that teams have to devote too many resources to stop. I think scheme can really aid pass pressure a lot and what McDonald's scheme did in Baltimore showed he can generate pressure with even average talent. That is my hope anyway.
I also think stopping the run game is crucial to helping the pass rush. That has to be priority one along with getting off the field on 3rd down. 3rd and 4 the last couple of years, teams could run, use play action, use screens or whatever they wanted and we had no answer. That has to change and we have to force opposing teams into few options so our guys are dictating and not just reacting, imo.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Yeah, my expectations are pretty average as well just because it will take some getting used to. The pressures, sacks etc thing is interesting. Nwosu was really the teams only consistent pass rusher and when he got hurt, despite Brooks and Mafe, etc having some moments, we really didn't have much. Even Nwosu isn't a Bosa, Watt, Garrett, Parsons that teams have to devote too many resources to stop. I think scheme can really aid pass pressure a lot and what McDonald's scheme did in Baltimore showed he can generate pressure with even average talent. That is my hope anyway.
I also think stopping the run game is crucial to helping the pass rush. That has to be priority one along with getting off the field on 3rd down. 3rd and 4 the last couple of years, teams could run, use play action, use screens or whatever they wanted and we had no answer. That has to change and we have to force opposing teams into few options so our guys are dictating and not just reacting, imo.

I was concerned about the overuse of Nwosu and no surprise an injury surfaced. That said, I think with Reed/Murphy/Williams/Jones/Hankins our EDGE crew should get some rest and have a decent rotation. I was VERY disappointed by the use of Hall... why the fuck did you draft the guy as basically a 1st round pick if you were going to bench him while putting in Taylor and then rotating Jones to EDGE while using a 2 man front?

When Pete started benching Woolen (Deion Sanders couldn't tackle for shit and was one of the best DBs in football) and did that dumbass Peters rotation, it was over. Did Pete really expect his CB to tackle CMAC with a lead blocker (who already had 5+ yards to begin with)? Get the fuck outta here.

I think this defense can easily go from one of the worst defenses in football history to a top 15 overnight... and that should be enough to get us in the playoffs. This is not a rebuild team... this team has tons of talent and can go the distance, they just need the right coach. Hopefully MacDonald is it and Grubb can get the offense running more smoothly.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

I was concerned about the overuse of Nwosu and no surprise an injury surfaced. That said, I think with Reed/Murphy/Williams/Jones/Hankins our EDGE crew should get some rest and have a decent rotation. I was VERY disappointed by the use of Hall... why the fuck did you draft the guy as basically a 1st round pick if you were going to bench him while putting in Taylor and then rotating Jones to EDGE while using a 2 man front?

When Pete started benching Woolen (Deion Sanders couldn't tackle for shit and was one of the best DBs in football) and did that dumbass Peters rotation, it was over. Did Pete really expect his CB to tackle CMAC with a lead blocker (who already had 5+ yards to begin with)? Get the fuck outta here.

I think this defense can easily go from one of the worst defenses in football history to a top 15 overnight... and that should be enough to get us in the playoffs. This is not a rebuild team... this team has tons of talent and can go the distance, they just need the right coach. Hopefully MacDonald is it and Grubb can get the offense running more smoothly.

Yeah. Pete had totally lost touch with the realities of modern NFL football and his DC hires were a joke. McVay and Shanahan were toying with Pete by the end. Not sure what McDonald will or won't do but excited to see it play out.

 

[Anointed One]

When Pete started benching Woolen (Deion Sanders couldn't tackle for shit and was one of the best DBs in football) and did that dumbass Peters rotation, it was over. Did Pete really expect his CB to tackle CMAC with a lead blocker (who already had 5+ yards to begin with)? Get the fuck outta here.

There is a reason why Deion was never benched for poor tackling… he made up for it with elite coverage and playmaking abilities… If Woolen was Deion - he wouldn’t had been benched either…

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

There is a reason why Deion was never benched for poor tackling… he made up for it with elite coverage and playmaking abilities… If Woolen was Deion - he wouldn’t had been benched either…

Woolen is still very good in coverage, he is far above average and he's only a 2nd year player in a scheme that was a complete failure to begin with.

I'm not comparing Woolen to Deion Sanders at this moment, just saying Carroll put him in a position to fail... opposing coords figured out that he cannot tackle or play the run well (like Deion) and Carroll's response was, "Well just keep doing cover 3 zone bullshit, fuck adjustments." The Cowboys of the 90s made those adjustments... I think Woolen will be an absolute beast with Mac's schemes. From my interpretation, Mac knows he's not great against the run but excels in coverage... so fuckin' scheme it that way.

 

[Judge Fudge]

Other than the 6 games against our division opponents, we drew:
- the AFC East with two serious playoff contenders (Buffalo, Miami) and one fringe contender (NY Jets)
- the NFC North with two serious playoff contenders (Green Bay and Detroit) and a team who may go either way depending on how far their #1 draft choice can carry them (Chicago)
- Denver
- Atlanta
- NY Giants

Fortunately for us, the Miami, Buffalo, and Green Bay games are all home games. We play Detroit on the road but we beat them on the road last year. Also fortunate for us, we get 9 home games this year and 8 road games.
Unfortunately for us, after our week 10 bye, five of the last eight games are on the road.

First thing: Week 7 in the Morning......................

We get to see the SB Rematch......................


Weeks 6-11 is going to be a tough stretch. Atlanta is Meh but they can Pound the rock well and we have issues against that. If we come out to Zona in week 12 at 7-3, were going to the Playoffs

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

First thing: Week 7 in the Morning......................

We get to see the SB Rematch......................


Weeks 6-11 is going to be a tough stretch. Atlanta is Meh but they can Pound the rock well and we have issues against that. If we come out to Zona in week 12 at 7-3, were going to the Playoffs

I think Seattle's D is going to wreck teams this season. Williams/Murphy/Hankins/Reed/Jones with a scheme that actually utilizes the talent... I see us absolutely crushing Zona/Atlanta. I have high expectations for Seattle this year. This was not a rebuild team. The team is loaded with talent, it just needs a coach to execute it on defense. QB is the biggest question mark at this point (which is the most important position in sports so that's a big deal) but Geno is not a slouch (and I think Howell is one of the better backups in the league) and did fine last year when he wasn't beat up thanks to the Giants game.

Course as always... injuries.. Williams and Murphy (or Reed or Jones) go down... then we're stuck in injury purgatory.

 

[Judge Fudge]

I think Seattle's D is going to wreck teams this season. Williams/Murphy/Hankins/Reed/Jones with a scheme that actually utilizes the talent... I see us absolutely crushing Zona/Atlanta. I have high expectations for Seattle this year. This was not a rebuild team. The team is loaded with talent, it just needs a coach to execute it on defense. QB is the biggest question mark at this point (which is the most important position in sports so that's a big deal) but Geno is not a slouch (and I think Howell is one of the better backups in the league) and did fine last year when he wasn't beat up thanks to the Giants game.

Course as always... injuries.. Williams and Murphy (or Reed or Jones) go down... then we're stuck in injury purgatory.

Agreed.

We have the tools to go 7-3 with Zona coming to town. I see Atlanta like Carolina a few years ago.

There a team that we can kick their ass but they are good at using our 1 weakness against us.

Rams at 9 is tough too because they always ALWAYS seem to have our number

If we go 3-2 in that streak and One of those losses is against those 2. Were going to the post season,


But flipping the question back to you Sharkie...............

Let's say we go to the 14 team dance. Do we have the team that can land the hottest girl?

Also. Gets to spend turkey day (week 6) with family