The Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the NFC West were dealt a tough hand last season, but they appear to be holding aces heading into 2025.
Rost: What’s the Seattle Seahawks’ plan for the offensive line?
In 2024, the NFC West faced the challenge of playing against a stacked NFC North division that featured three playoff teams who won at least 11 games. However, the schedule-makers were much kinder to the Seahawks and the rest of their division in 2025.
Former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus explained Tuesday during his Four Down Territory segment on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.
“All these teams, the Niners, the Rams, the Hawks, the Cardinals, they get to play the AFC South and the NFC South – two of the worst divisions in football last year,” Bumpus said. “So you have an opportunity to win some ball games.”
The AFC South and NFC South were indeed two of the weakest divisions in the NFL last season, although that can change over the course of an offseason. But all signs point towards the NFC West benefiting from facing the South divisions in the upcoming season.
The South divisions were two of four in the NFL to have only one playoff team last season (the NFC West was one of the others), two of three to have only one team above .500, and two of three to have no teams win more than 10 games (also the NFC West). Additionally, the AFC South was the only division with two teams that won less than five games.
There was clear evidence last season of teams benefiting greatly from playing those divisions. The Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers – three playoff teams from the NFC North – went a combined 12-0 against the AFC South last year. Even the five-win Chicago Bears split their four games against the division. And the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos – three playoff teams from the AFC West – went 11-1 against the NFC South last season.
It all adds up to a favorable 2025 slate for NFC West squads, all of which have strength of schedules in the top bottom half of the league based on opponents’ 2024 winning percentage. The Rams have the 17th-toughest schedule, the Seahawks are tied for 21st, the Cardinals are tied for 27th and the 49ers are 32nd.
“Here’s where the Hawks benefit even more: because the Rams finished first in the in the NFC West, they got to play some first-place teams. They got to play the Eagles, the Lions and the Ravens,” Bumpus said. “So yeah, they can win some ball games playing against these weaker divisions, but now they got to go see the Eagles, the Lions and the Ravens. Since the Hawks finished second, they got to go play some second-place teams. The Commanders – (who are) tough still – the Vikings and the Steelers.”
That does also mean the Cardinals get third-place teams and the 49ers fourth-place teams from the AFC North, NFC North and NFC East on their schedules. The 49ers clearly have the easiest slate, but the Cardinals may actually be getting tougher opponents than the Seahawks in a couple of those matchups. Seattle gets to face a Vikings squad that will be breaking in a first-time NFL starter in 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, and a Steelers team that is facing an uncertain quarterback situation. Meanwhile, Arizona faces the Joe Burrow-led Bengals and Jordan Love-led Packers.
Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
Seattle Seahawks news and analysis
• Mock Draft Roundup: What options do Seattle Seahawks have at No. 18?
• The Seattle Seahawks’ reported free agent visits, including three O-linemen
• New Seattle Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp glad to have 12s on his side now
• Huard: A position group to keep an eye on for Seattle Seahawks
• How Cooper Kupp will coexist in Hawks offense with JSN