Analysis: Ranking All 17 of Seahawks Upcoming 2022 Matchups

On Thursday, the NFL released 2022 schedules for all 32 teams, including the Seahawks, who will open their new season welcoming former quarterback Russell Wilson back to town as a member of the Broncos on Monday Night Football.

As expected, Seattle will face a challenging slate of games to kick off the post-Wilson era with out of division matchups against the entire AFC West and NFC South. The team will also log more miles than any other team in the NFL in large part due to a historic road trip to Germany to face Tampa Bay in mid-November as well as long flights to Detroit and New Orleans.

Breaking down the Seahawks entire schedule while taking into consideration overall talent, coaching/schematics, location, time of year, and recent history, I ranked all 17 of the team's upcoming games in 2022 from easiest to most challenging:

17. Atlanta Falcons (Week 3)

The Falcons aren't completely devoid of talent and have several exciting young pieces to build around, including cornerback A.J. Terrell and tight end Kyle Pitts. However, coach Arthur Smith's club likely will be vying for the No. 1 overall pick next year with journeyman Marcus Mariota or rookie Desmond Ridder expected to replace former MVP Matt Ryan, who was traded to the Colts in March. Star receiver Calvin Ridley will also miss the entire season for violating the NFL's gambling policy, making life even tougher for whoever plays quarterback. In terms of winnable games, this one takes the cake for the Seahawks at home in the first month of the season.

16. Carolina Panthers (Week 14)

Like the Falcons, headlined by running back Christian McCaffrey and edge rusher Brian Burns, the Panthers have a handful of star players on both sides of the football. But coach Matt Rhule hasn't been able to find a franchise quarterback and after failing to land Deshaun Watson earlier in the offseason, the team will likely have to throw former Jets first-round pick Sam Darnold back onto the field after a miserable 2021 campaign. The addition of first-round selection Ikem Ekwonu will bolster the offensive line in front of Darnold and a healthy McCaffrey would do wonders for their offense, but pass protection remains a viable concern and the Seahawks should be able to get consistent pressure on him with the home crowd turning up the noise.

15. New York Giants (Week 8)

Under the direction of new coach Brian Daboll, who helped transform Josh Allen into a superstar with the Bills, the Giants hope fourth-year quarterback Daniel Jones will turn the corner. Helping his cause, the team invested a first-round pick in Alabama tackle Evan Neal and running back Saquan Barkley returns two years removed from an ACL tear. There's a strong chance with a last-place schedule that New York could be a surprise in the NFC East, especially considering the talent on its defensive line anchored by Leonard Williams. Still, this team will only go as far as Jones can carry them and has plenty of holes left to fill, so the Seahawks should be slight favorites against them at home.

14. New York Jets (Week 17)

Despite finishing last in the AFC East a year ago, the Jets enter year No. 2 of the Robert Saleh era with heightened expectations and for good reason. Taking advantage of draft capital acquired from the Seahawks in the Jamal Adams trade, they wound up selecting three blue chip players in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, including cornerback Ahmad Gardner and receiver Garrett Wilson. With Zach Wilson hoping to take a big leap forward in his sophomore season under center and upgraded weaponry around him, this young, hungry team could be a sleeper playoff contender and won't be an easy out for Seattle in the closing weeks of the season.

13. at Detroit Lions (Week 4)

In the win/loss column, coach Dan Campbell's first season became a nightmare with the Lions failing to win a game until December. But don't let the record fool you: players responded favorably to their new coach and Detroit won three of its final seven games, carrying some momentum into a new season. After adding explosive pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson and receiver Jameson Williams in the draft, the Lions could be a surprise contender in the NFC North. With this game being on the road, there's a chance the Seahawks could even be a slight underdog in this early matchup, though catching this opponent early in the season could be advantageous.

12. Arizona Cardinals (Week 6)

Coming off a blowout loss in the wild card round to the Rams, the Cardinals didn't exactly have a smooth offseason with drama surrounding quarterback Kyler Murray, standout pass rusher Chandler Jones departing in free agency, and receiver DeAndre Hopkins receiving a six-game suspension. Still, this remains a talented football team and the addition of receiver Marquise Brown via trade will help offset Hopkins' absence in the first two months of the season. While the Seahawks should benefit playing at home and not having to deal with Hopkins in this first divisional matchup, the Cardinals have dominated at Lumen Field, going 6-3 there since 2013.

11. vs. San Francisco 49ers (Week 15)

Despite making an NFC Championship Game appearance in January, San Francisco enters a new season with some question marks. Second-year quarterback Trey Lance will likely replace Jimmy Garoppolo under center, while star receiver Deebo Samuel unsuccessfully tried to force his way out of town before the draft demanding a trade, creating some issues for coach Kyle Shanahan to work around. Offensive concerns aside, a vaunted pass rush led by Nick Bosa and the presence of All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner should keep the 49ers' defense among the NFL's best. Given the Seahawks' success against their rivals at home under the lights, this could be a game they can steal in prime time, but it won't be easy.

10. at New Orleans Saints (Week 5)

Looking to rebound from a disappointing season that was derailed by a season-ending knee injury to quarterback Jameis Winston, new coach Dennis Allen and the Saints should have one of the better defenses in the NFL led by pass rushers Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport, cornerback Marshon Lattimore, and linebacker Demario Davis. The return of a healthy Michael Thomas on the outside coupled with incoming rookie receiver Chris Olave also will give Winston a far better set of weapons to throw to than he had a year ago. While Winston may not be a franchise quarterback, this team has the pieces around him to contend once again and playing at the Caesars Superdome is always a challenge for opponents, so this will undoubtedly be a difficult road test for the Seahawks.

9. at San Francisco 49ers (Week 2)

Winning on the road in the NFL is difficult regardless of opponent, but the Seahawks have actually had great success in the past against the 49ers at Levis Stadium. Since 2014, they have won six out of seven games in Santa Clara pitted against their rivals. Playing this game early in the year against the untested, unproven Lance could prove beneficial to Seattle and improves its odds of snagging an early road upset.

8. at Arizona Cardinals (Week 9)

It's a weird coincidence, but despite the fact State Farm Stadium has become known as a "House of Horrors" for the Seahawks over the years with star players suffering serious injury, they have fared well in the desert. In fact, since 2013, Pete Carroll's teams have went 7-1-1 in Arizona. Still, those games were with Wilson under center and the Cardinals will have a motivated Hopkins back in the lineup. Even given their track record, this will be a stiff test for the Seahawks to kick off the toughest sequence in their 2022 schedule.

7. Las Vegas Raiders (Week 12)

After falling just short against the Bengals in the wild round round in January, the Raiders hired former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their new head coach and promptly made a pair of splashy moves to further bolster their roster. Along with extending Derek Carr, Las Vegas traded a first-round pick to Green Bay for superstar receiver Devante Adams, reuniting him with his college quarterback. The front office also aggressively pursued All-Pro linebacker Chandler Jones, signing him to a multi-year deal to team up with rising star Maxx Crosby, giving the Raiders a pair of dynamic pass rushers. Loaded with weapons on offense and featuring one of the best rushing tandems in the NFL on defense, this could be a rough homecoming matchup for the Seahawks coming off their bye.

6. Denver Broncos (Week 1)

Always loving a good revenge story, the NFL wisely sent Wilson back to his old stomping grounds for a Monday Night showdown in the season opener. The nine-time Pro Bowler will be orchestrating a Broncos offense with plenty of weapons, including receivers Courtland Sutton, K.J. Hamler, and Jerry Jeudy. What could make Denver a real contender in the loaded AFC West, however, is its stingy defense, which ranked in the top five in scoring a year ago. With pass rusher Bradley Chubb, cornerback Patrick Surtain II, and safety Justin Simmons all returning, that unit could be a major problem for a Seahawks' offense breaking in a new quarterback and multiple new starters along the offensive line. Emotions will be running high

5. at Los Angeles Chargers (Week 7)

While jokes will persist about the Chargers' fan base - or lack thereof - for home games at SoFi Stadium, there's nothing laughable about this budding contender. Led by star quarterback Justin Herbert, Los Angeles has star power at the skill positions with receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams at his disposal. The offensive line also looks far better with center Corey Linsley and left tackle Rashawn Slater entering their second seasons with the franchise. Defensively, the arrival of former All-Pro Khalil Mack teaming up with Joey Bosa rushing off the edge will make for a lot of sleepless nights from opposing quarterbacks, while coach Brandon Staley landed a shutdown corner in J.C. Jackson during free agency to pair up with safety Derwin James. This roster is flat-out loaded and if Herbert takes another step forward, this could be the best team in the AFC West, making this a daunting road task for the overmatched Seahawks.

4. at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 10)

Participating in the first-ever NFL regular season game in Germany, the Seahawks didn't draw a favorable matchup with Tom Brady ending his five-minute retirement to return for another season with the Buccaneers. While a few prominent starters won't be back and coach Bruce Arians retired this spring, Tampa Bay will return much of its roster from a year ago, including receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on offense and pass rusher Shaquill Barrett and defensive tackle Vita Vea on defense. While this Bucs squad may have a few growing pains mixing in new starters in the secondary and along the offensive line, the presence of Brady, a dynamic receiving corps, and a hyper-aggressive defense coached by Todd Bowles could make this a dreadful opponent for the rebuilding Seahawks, particularly with the game coming in Week 10.

3. Los Angeles Rams (Week 18)

Over the past few years, Seattle has won a couple of home games against its bitter rival, including edging Los Angeles to win the NFC West in 2020. But coming off a Super Bowl title, the Rams will be favorites to repeat with most of their star players returning in 2022 and a few new additions added to the roster. Matthew Stafford should be even more comfortable in coach Sean McVay's offense and while Robert Woods is gone, he was replaced by Allen Robinson, who will be a dangerous sidekick next to All-Pro Cooper Kupp. Aaron Donald will continue to be an unblockable wrecking ball in the trenches, Jalen Ramsey remains a top-three corner, and now former Seahawks star Bobby Wagner will join the mix in the middle. In the final week, Seattle might be facing backups, which would be the only realistic chance to end the season with a win against a far superior team.

2. at Kansas City Chiefs (Week 16)

While the Seahawks take pride in their own home field environment at Lumen Field, a strong argument can be made that no fan base impacts games more than Chiefs Kingdom at Arrowhead Stadium. The noise will be deafening on Christmas Eve, making life difficult for Drew Lock or Geno Smith to get play calls and make audibles at the line of scrimmage and allowing rushers Chris Jones and Frank Clark to wreak havoc in the backfield. On top of that, even after trading away Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs have no shortage of weapons for quarterback Patrick Mahomes to throw to, including star tight end Jason Kelce and receivers Mecole Hardman and rookie Skyy Moore. Looking at the talent on Kansas City's roster and the timing of this matchup at one of the most hostile venues in professional sports during the heat of winter, Seattle will be hard-pressed to keep things competitive.

1. at Los Angeles Rams (Week 13)

Since McVay arrived, the Rams have dominated the Seahawks, but that's especially been the case in Los Angeles. Winning both matchups so far at SoFi Stadium, they have defeated their Pacific Northwest rivals each of the past four times they have squared off in Southern California. This one should be no different with Donald, Ramsey, and company likely pushing for a top seed in the NFC.