3 Seahawks Games Worthy of Prime Time Saturday Slot
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the chances of any college football being played in 2020 continue to diminish. The Big Ten conference has already reportedly voted to cancel the season, while the Pac-12 and other power five conferences may follow suit in the next 24 to 48 hours.
But if there's a silver lining to an awful situation - particularly for student athletes who won't be able to play this fall and the communities impacted negatively by the lack of games - the NFL has sights set on filling the void to an extent.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the league has been exploring the possibility of moving a couple of games each week to Saturday "if college football doesn't proceed this season." Much as the NFL already does late in the schedule in a traditional season, up to three games could be moved up a day, allowing fans to see games four days a week.
The Seahawks are slated to play four prime time contests, with three of them coming at CenturyLink Field. If the NFL adapts the schedule to feature three Saturday games each week, which of Seattle's games would be most appetizing to slide into one of those marquee slots?
Week 8 vs. 49ers
Surprisingly, the NFL didn't initially schedule either of Seattle's games against San Francisco in a prime time slot, with both matchups set to be played at 1:25 PM PST. Like last year, their Week 17 matchup looks poised to be flexed into prime time, but if the NFL really wants to take advantage of moving games to Saturday, the first matchup between these bitter rivals should be prioritized for the evening slot in front of a national audience. Who doesn't want to see Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett, and DK Metcalf going up against Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Richard Sherman, among others? Or the coaching chess match between Pete Carroll and Kyle Shanahan? With it being Week 8, the NFC West race would be well underway and this game could wind up being critical in determining who captures a division title.
Week 9 at Bills
Just one week later, the Seahawks face arguably their toughest road game out of division traveling to face the upstart Bills, who earned a wild card berth in 2019 and look to be the favorites in a new-look AFC East. Buffalo has one of the NFL's stingiest defenses and added firepower on offense this offseason by trading multiple draft picks to Minnesota for receiver Stefon Diggs, giving quarterback Josh Allen a true No. 1 target for the first time of his career. While NBC or FOX won't be running with this narrative, it's also worth noting this could be deemed the Quinton Jefferson revenge game, as the veteran defensive tackle left Seattle to sign with Buffalo in March. The NFL could do much worse than moving a matchup pitting Wilson against cornerback Tre'Davious White and company into a Saturday time slot.
Week 16 at Rams
While a Week 14 tilt against the Jets offered some intrigue with safety Jamal Adams facing off against coach Adam Gase and his former team, a Week 16 matchup with a familiar foe will much likely have a greater impact on playoff standings. Despite enduring a tumultuous offseason featuring plenty of roster turnover, including releasing former All-Pro running back Todd Gurley, the Rams believe they are positioned to push their way back to the top of the division. They still have arguably the best defensive player in football in Aaron Donald and if quarterback Jared Goff bounces back, Los Angeles should be in the thick of the playoff hunt in the final month. With the past two games at CenturyLink between these rivals decided by a grand total of three points, there's a great chance this game with incredible postseason implications will go down to the wire, making it a top candidate for Saturday's prime time opening.
