The Seattle Seahawks are going to find the road to the playoffs only gets harder every year. Even if the team continues to improve, Seattle faces a brutal slate next year when they face both the NFC North and the AFC East on their schedule. That'll mean some very formidable contests.
The Green Bay Packers will come to Century Link Field. So will the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys. While the home-field advantage is probably one of the best in the NFL and should give Seattle a potential trump card, they will still be not stronger than either of these three teams. The Seahawks will also have to host the Jets (never an easy matchup) and the Vikings (their best non-divisional home game on the slate).
Their road slate isn't much more fun. Seattle will have to go to Miami and Buffalo, Chicago and Detroit, and Carolina. Not one of those games could be identified as an easy contest at this point. When all is said and done, the Seahawks could have one of the most difficult schedules of any NFL team.
To discuss the new NFL schedule with Seahawks fans, go to Field Gulls.