During the offseason, the front office of the Seattle Seahawks took on an overhaul that transformed the team both on and off the field. Stars who had come to be synonymous with the success of the Seahawks, including the likes of Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor are no longer going to battle for the team on the field, and significant coaching staff changes were made on both sides of the ball.
Through the first six games the Hawks sit at 3-3 as they head into the bye week, with a road trip to take on the Detroit Lions when they return to action in Week 8. Many observers are not sure what to make of the Lions thus far in 2018, as Detroit started the season with consecutive losses to the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers, before sandwiching a loss to the Dallas Cowboys with wins against the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots.
Regardless of how the game against Detroit turns out, it is likely that the Seahawks season will be defined by how the team plays over a twenty-two day stretch in November. Between November 4 and November 25 the Hawks will face the Los Angeles Chargers, the Los Angeles Rams, the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers. The Rams currently lead the NFC West division, with the Chargers just a game back of the Kansas City Chiefs with the two teams set to play again in December. Meanwhile, the Packers and Panthers are both in the thick of the hunt for the leadin both their own division and the NFC Wild Card race.
As important as the game against the Oakland Raiders was to get the Seahawks back to .500 on the season, the entire month of November is comprised of games that will be crucial to the success of the season for the team. The schedule lets up quite a bit in December, with three games against San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals, games which should be much easier than the November slate. However, how easy the December schedule is could be rendered completely irrelevant if the Seahawks don’t take care of business during November.
The Hawks are 17-6 in the Russell Wilson era during the month of November, so there is obviously reason for hope, but with opponents who are currently a combined 14-6-1 lined up they will have their work cut out for themselves.