The fact that the whole NFC North gets to play the AFC East and the NFC South also suggests that one or even two Wild Card teams could come out of the North. This means tighter playoff opportunities in the other NFC divisions, especially the West. We could be in another season like 2024 where a good 2nd place team stays home. Tight margins in the NFL, schedules matter.
I'm ignoring every other team for now. Focusing just on Seattle;
- Personnel will change minimally. JS can keep whomever he wants, but as in all years, some folks will walk out the door for one reason or another. But this will largely be the same team next year.
- Horton comes back on offense and special teams which will be a HUGE boost in his 2nd year. Dude was a TD machine as a rookie, so no way he doesn't come back better next year.
- I don't want to make a big deal out of a handful of snaps in the Super Bowl, but Rylie Mills will be a great addition to the d-line rotation, or at least it appears so. Dude is strong as an ox, and has an incredible motor. That's a good place to start. He's also in the smartest d-line room in the league.
- Nick Emmanwori is just warming up. Year 2 will be better still, and maybe a lot better.
- Arroyo had a minimal impact this year, but will improve significantly next year. Needs to get stronger, and refine his blocking technique, and I'm sure he will.
- Does anyone really think that Mike Macdonald's defense has peaked in year 2? Me neither. He will continue to field the smartest defense in the league, and one of the most physical.
- On offense, there are some questions with Kubiak's departure, but the players will be largely the same. And scheme wise, it sounds like the hire will likely be internal, so there should be continuity for the players generally, and Sam Darnold specifically. This will be the Seahawks scheme, not Kubiaks or anyone else's scheme. That's smart.
- If JS continues his incredible touch in the draft, we should have 2 or 3 contributors again next year, and probably at least one undrafted FA. We don't need much, but will probably lose a few to FA.
The Seahawks will have a 1st placed team schedule next year, so not an easy path back to the #1 seed. But, they have the pieces and the coach to be one of the toughest outs in the league. But for now, I'll just enjoy the fact that we're SB champions, and will let next year take care of itself when the time comes. The parade was awesome yesterday. What a day! Wish I could have been there.
The Seahawks players are far more entertaining to listen to after a few beers. Earnest Jones.....the bringer of f-bombs. Love it.
Hey, did you know, or do you care, that Seattle is one of seven teams that ended their season with a win? There were six teams that won in week 18 that didn't make the playoffs, and the other 25 teams lost their last game of the season. From a certain point of view, that kinda sucks.
Seriously, Joe, reality can set in next Sept., but it's only the middle of February, and the Hawks are the current Super Bowl champs and are totally undefeated in 2026. Rejoice!
Greetings SJ. You bring about an interesting perspective on the 2026 Detroit Lions, but should LT Taylor Decker retire and C Graham Glassgow be waived, how and who would the replace them with? The current listings of free agent iOL and OT consists of expensive and on the plus side of 30 years of age and drafting a LT and sometimes a C can be more miss than hit. But I still think that the NFC North is going to be a gauntlet for Seattle and the NFC West to go through.
Ok. This is why I love Seaside Joe. Today, 11 ESPN NFL analysts projected the teams to be in next year’s Super Bowl. Only one of them picked the Hawks to even return to the SB, and that person picked them to lose.
The Packers, Bears, GB, Dallas, 49ers, and Rams are picked from the NFC with the Rams picked to win by 3.
Their rationale stretches the imagination. And no one apparently is concerned about defense.
None addresses the key points brought up by SSJ. I’ll take my real analysis here, and leave ESPN for the giggles and grins.
Thank goodness for ESPN. I was worried the disrespect would dry up after winning the SB. Apparently not, which is great. Keep picking us to not be in the hunt. That's what I want. Let us toil in anonymity for 5 months next year, just like this year.
Checking SJ math on this one “the Bears have a 38th-ranked defense”…. lol. Little nuggets of statistical abnormalities is why we keep coming back to SJ posts!!!! ;-)))) Pure fun SJ.
If stafford is healthy, in my opinion, the Rams will be the toughest team on our schedule. Other than that, I think we could beat everyone else. Eagles could be a litter tougher out because it is an away game, but they have problems. A split with the Rams and we go 16-1.
Yeah, When you go for it on 4th down and make it.....It's all giggles and shits. When you go for it on 4th down and don't make it.....It's all shits for the coach and giggles for the defense.
There were so many examples this year of teams undoing themselves eschewing a FG and the 3 points in favor of a 4th down try. I'm not saying you NEVER go for it on 4th and short, but taking the easy 3 is just the right answer sometimes. Seattle did that 5 times in the Super Bowl (15 pts) and won by 16.
The fact that the whole NFC North gets to play the AFC East and the NFC South also suggests that one or even two Wild Card teams could come out of the North. This means tighter playoff opportunities in the other NFC divisions, especially the West. We could be in another season like 2024 where a good 2nd place team stays home. Tight margins in the NFL, schedules matter.
I'm ignoring every other team for now. Focusing just on Seattle;
- Personnel will change minimally. JS can keep whomever he wants, but as in all years, some folks will walk out the door for one reason or another. But this will largely be the same team next year.
- Horton comes back on offense and special teams which will be a HUGE boost in his 2nd year. Dude was a TD machine as a rookie, so no way he doesn't come back better next year.
- I don't want to make a big deal out of a handful of snaps in the Super Bowl, but Rylie Mills will be a great addition to the d-line rotation, or at least it appears so. Dude is strong as an ox, and has an incredible motor. That's a good place to start. He's also in the smartest d-line room in the league.
- Nick Emmanwori is just warming up. Year 2 will be better still, and maybe a lot better.
- Arroyo had a minimal impact this year, but will improve significantly next year. Needs to get stronger, and refine his blocking technique, and I'm sure he will.
- Does anyone really think that Mike Macdonald's defense has peaked in year 2? Me neither. He will continue to field the smartest defense in the league, and one of the most physical.
- On offense, there are some questions with Kubiak's departure, but the players will be largely the same. And scheme wise, it sounds like the hire will likely be internal, so there should be continuity for the players generally, and Sam Darnold specifically. This will be the Seahawks scheme, not Kubiaks or anyone else's scheme. That's smart.
- If JS continues his incredible touch in the draft, we should have 2 or 3 contributors again next year, and probably at least one undrafted FA. We don't need much, but will probably lose a few to FA.
The Seahawks will have a 1st placed team schedule next year, so not an easy path back to the #1 seed. But, they have the pieces and the coach to be one of the toughest outs in the league. But for now, I'll just enjoy the fact that we're SB champions, and will let next year take care of itself when the time comes. The parade was awesome yesterday. What a day! Wish I could have been there.
The Seahawks players are far more entertaining to listen to after a few beers. Earnest Jones.....the bringer of f-bombs. Love it.
Hey, did you know, or do you care, that Seattle is one of seven teams that ended their season with a win? There were six teams that won in week 18 that didn't make the playoffs, and the other 25 teams lost their last game of the season. From a certain point of view, that kinda sucks.
Do you mean the last game of the regular season, or you are including the playoffs as well?
Playoffs as well. Everybody in the playoffs except Seattle ended their season with a loss.
Seriously, Joe, reality can set in next Sept., but it's only the middle of February, and the Hawks are the current Super Bowl champs and are totally undefeated in 2026. Rejoice!
Greetings SJ. You bring about an interesting perspective on the 2026 Detroit Lions, but should LT Taylor Decker retire and C Graham Glassgow be waived, how and who would the replace them with? The current listings of free agent iOL and OT consists of expensive and on the plus side of 30 years of age and drafting a LT and sometimes a C can be more miss than hit. But I still think that the NFC North is going to be a gauntlet for Seattle and the NFC West to go through.
Ok. This is why I love Seaside Joe. Today, 11 ESPN NFL analysts projected the teams to be in next year’s Super Bowl. Only one of them picked the Hawks to even return to the SB, and that person picked them to lose.
The Packers, Bears, GB, Dallas, 49ers, and Rams are picked from the NFC with the Rams picked to win by 3.
Their rationale stretches the imagination. And no one apparently is concerned about defense.
None addresses the key points brought up by SSJ. I’ll take my real analysis here, and leave ESPN for the giggles and grins.
Thank goodness for ESPN. I was worried the disrespect would dry up after winning the SB. Apparently not, which is great. Keep picking us to not be in the hunt. That's what I want. Let us toil in anonymity for 5 months next year, just like this year.
https://youtu.be/UiVCQi4Wv0Y?si=gG5CaBqMuogFGPrK
Checking SJ math on this one “the Bears have a 38th-ranked defense”…. lol. Little nuggets of statistical abnormalities is why we keep coming back to SJ posts!!!! ;-)))) Pure fun SJ.
Very interesting article!
Great work. Made a ton of sense.
If stafford is healthy, in my opinion, the Rams will be the toughest team on our schedule. Other than that, I think we could beat everyone else. Eagles could be a litter tougher out because it is an away game, but they have problems. A split with the Rams and we go 16-1.
I know this is off topic, but just thought I’d share for all the Dickson fans.
https://youtube.com/shorts/dE68OHtfbvM?si=YIHlOlMM4mD-b3Hq
I’ve read more than one comment on the neutral-to-PatsFan spectrum to the effect of “Their punter…wow!”
As a Dickson and Myers defender, I’m vindicated!
Good video.
This Post ! ... only from the Mind of KenJoe.
~ some Detroit folks might want to take bets on the winner of the AFC.
... maybe even some Seahawks folks.
i put AFC should have put NFC. my bad.
... maybe just bet on the Over if'n it's reasonable.
Still hoping we're there as the NFC Champs.
Don't you know, Bo is going to come back healthy and better than before and we will see Denver in the SB. It's spread all over social media.
Bo Jackson is awesome. Maybe too old, though?
https://youtu.be/_ht4tDHfQn4?si=wQ1Aqt57q0ZfLtiC
hah, hah
Just looked it up again:
#1 most difficult schedule in the NFL: Chicago Bears
#3 Green Bay (tied with Cards)
#11 Vikings
#14 Seahawks
#27 Lions
Hmmm...is SSJ onto something YET AGAIN??
Lions get the Pats at home next year. Good test for both teams although I think the Lions would win.
Could not agree more, SSJ. Campbell is legacy-focused and just getting started.
He just has to stop going for it so much on fourth down.
Yeah, When you go for it on 4th down and make it.....It's all giggles and shits. When you go for it on 4th down and don't make it.....It's all shits for the coach and giggles for the defense.
It’s food for thought that the team that went for it the least on 4th down just won the Super Bowl.
There were so many examples this year of teams undoing themselves eschewing a FG and the 3 points in favor of a 4th down try. I'm not saying you NEVER go for it on 4th and short, but taking the easy 3 is just the right answer sometimes. Seattle did that 5 times in the Super Bowl (15 pts) and won by 16.
Exactly. Accumulate a lead and make the Patriots play from behind against the best defense in the league.
Begaw!!!
New here. What does "Begaw" mean.
Needs to know he can do the unexpected kick and his guys will still trust him. Seemed it may have made the difference 2 years ago in the Playoffs.
As a Detroiter, I hope me and my friends don't draw too much fraternal blood over this in the next year.
Going to MNF at Ford Field in my Seahawks jersey was harrowing enough.