2024 Seahawks regular season schedule: 10 storylines to watch

There are no shortage of interesting matchups on the Seattle Seahawks’ 2024 regular season schedule. Obviously the NFL sees Seattle as a potential playoff-caliber team, giving them four nationally televised games against high-profile opposition. If all goes well and breaks a certain way, the Seahawks could play their way into additional primetime matchups.

I started doing a storyline for every regular season game but realized I’d be halfway toward writing a novel, so I’ve reduced it to my top 10.

Week 1 vs. Denver Broncos: Mike Macdonald’s debut

This was an easy one. There’s no “Russell Wilson is back in Seattle, but with a competent coach” storyline to be had since Wilson is a Pittsburgh Steeler. Bo Nix is presumably going to be the starter for the Broncos, but the main story here is Mike Macdonald’s first game as Seahawks head coach.

Denver isn’t expected to be much of a playoff threat this season, so this is on the kinder side in terms of opening day opponents. This isn’t to say the Seahawks have a win in the bag or that the Broncos are going to be a clown show, but there are much tougher opponents (in theory) Seattle could’ve drawn for Week 1.

Week 2 at New England Patriots: Ryan Grubb’s first big test

I’m leaning toward Jacoby Brissett being New England’s starter by the time this game happens. Drake Maye may get the “sit out the first season/first few games” treatment from head coach Jerod Mayo. Leaving that aside, this is the road opener for the Seahawks against a Patriots team that was terrible in Bill Belichick’s farewell.

Why is this the first big test for Seattle’s new offensive coordinator? Because the Patriots defense was much better than the 4-13 record indicated. New England was No. 9 by DVOA even without Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez for most of the season. Their only departures of note were defensive backs Myles Bryant and Jalen Mills, so this should still be a formidable defense to deal with in 2024. This game will tell us a lot about the potential of the Seahawks offense.

Week 3 vs. Miami Dolphins: Mike Macdonald’s first big test

If the Broncos and Patriots offenses aren’t projected for special things, we know the Miami Dolphins have a high-flying, high-scoring team. Mike McDaniel has cooked up a special rushing attack with Raheem Mostert and Devon Achane, and has half of a 4x100m relay team with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at receiver. If Tua Tagovailoa is given time, he will pick defenses apart finding the open targets.

This will be the first major litmus test for Mike Macdonald’s defense. He had the personnel in Baltimore to hold last year’s Dolphins to 19 points on 12 drives. That won’t be the case in Seattle. He WILL have one of Miami’s former linebackers on his team in Jerome Baker.

Oh yeah, and lest we forget the Jordyn Brooks revenge game on the other side of the ball.

Week 4 at Detroit Lions (MNF): Will the shootouts continue?

51-29. 48-45. 37-31. Those are the scores of the last three meetings between the Seahawks and Lions. Not coincidentally, these have not been great defenses for awhile (although Detroit improved significantly last season). Efforts have been made through the draft and free agency to address weaknesses, and the Seahawks have gone the extra mile with a new defensive scheme and coaching staff.

The previous three matchups were not on national television. This one will be on Monday Night Football. Wouldn’t it be something if a defensive struggle broke out instead? Or will Geno Smith and Jared Goff keep on spinnin’ it and lighting up the scoreboard?

Week 5 vs. New York Giants: Drew Lock revenge game?

This is tongue-in-cheek, but not completely. It’s also the Leonard Williams revenge game, but not really since he was glowing about Giants management as he was traded to Seattle.

Daniel Jones has mostly been injured and bad (or both) in his NFL career. His 2022 season somehow was enough for the Giants to fork over $40 million a year. It is far from a guarantee that even in Week 5 he’s the starter over his backup, former Seahawks backup Drew Lock.

I think the Giants might have something with their defensive front of Kayvon Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence, and Brian Burns, but offensively their season depends on their QB. Perhaps Lock is their main signal caller for whatever reason by the time the G-Men are in town.

Week 6 vs. San Francisco 49ers (TNF): The first division game

It’s not ideal for the first divisional matchup to be against the team that’s won five straight against you (in generally non-competitive manner) on a short week. Much has been discussed about how Macdonald will approach the offenses of Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. We’ll get our answer to the Shanahan question in early October.

On the flip side, the Seahawks offense has been shot to pieces against the vaunted 49ers defense post-Russell Wilson. Honestly, it’s hard to argue there were great offensive performances in the last few Wilson starts, but they played well enough to win. The gap in quality has been wide for quite some time, and I’m eager to see that closed.

Week 9 vs. Los Angeles Rams: Life after Aaron Donald

We had a glimpse of the Rams defense without Aaron Donald in 2022 when he missed both matchups against the Seahawks. The problem is the Rams were so heavily injured that they were a bad team. There’s reason to believe that LA will field a competitive defense post-Donald, especially with the early returns on Byron Young and Kobie Turner, but neither one of them is likely to ever be as singularly impactful as No. 99.

A full season of no Aaron Donald will tell us a lot about the Rams’ upside for this season, and the Seahawks better take advantage.

Week 13 at New York Jets: The Geno Smith revenge game

Yes, Geno has already played against the Jets twice in a Seahawks uniform, but both games were at home. He has not faced the Jets on the road as an opposing quarterback, and while it didn’t work out at all for Geno in New York, he’s gotten to the playoffs as a starter and the Jets haven’t made the postseason since 2010.

Stylistically, the Jets should have one of the elite defenses in the NFL again. It’s the offense that’s the question mark. Yes, they’ve signed Tyron Smith and Mike Williams and drafted Malachi Corley and Olu Fashanu, but the plain truth is that Aaron Rodgers is about to be 41 years old and he blew out his Achilles last year. Modern medicine is phenomenal but it cannot defeat biology. It’s distinctly possible that Rodgers is never going to be close to his best form. I suppose the Jets could still contender with just average QB play and not the Tim Boyle and Zach Wilson nonsense they’ve endured, but I’m not buying the Jets hype entirely because of the Rodgers variable.

Oh yes, and the Seahawks have never lost at Metlife Stadium.

Week 15 vs. Green Bay Packers (SNF): Maximum primetime craziness

The Seahawks have hosted the Packers at Lumen Field a total of six times. Five of those wins were by Seattle, all on national television. Whether it’s rallying from 21-12 down to win in a rare Seattle snowstorm, or Golden Tate catching it, or Brandon Bostick not catching it, or Ricardo Lockette fooling the defense, or Ed Dickson actually existing, there’s been a lot of zaniness in this semi-rivalry.

Both teams have made the playoffs on the final day of the regular season at each other’s expense over the past two seasons. History shows the Packers can’t win in Seattle and the Seahawks can’t win at Lambeau. Hopefully that trend holds up in what should be Jordan Love’s Lumen Field debut. Just when you thought the Packers wouldn’t have a seamless QB transition for a change, Love turned it on in the second half of last season and the Pack look like a playoff contender this year.

Week 17 at Chicago Bears (TNF): Christmas at Caleb’s house

Seattle avoided playing on Christmas Day, only to end up on Boxing Day. It’s a brutal turnaround to have a short week in Chicago in late December, more specifically Christmas week.

If the form guide holds up, this game will have playoff implications for both teams. Caleb Williams is the headline act at the No. 1 overall pick. Who’s his offensive coordinator? None other than former Seahawks OC Shane Waldron.

I’m hoping it’s unseasonably warm and pleasant at Soldier Field.