5 Weird Predictions for a Weird Seahawks Season in 2020

In case you haven't heard, things are far from normal in the year 2020. The coronavirus has laid waste to normalcy throughout life and sports since March in the United States. Football season will be no exception.

Here are five predictions for the Seahawks in 2020, keeping in mind things may get very weird thanks to COVID-19.

1. There will be no fans at any Seahawks home games.

Unfortunately, this is the reality of sports in 2020. Sports can go on with some intense protocols but fans are nowhere to be seen. We have seen this already in sports that have restarted since the major shutdown, with Major League Baseball not playing in a bubble, yet traveling to each ballpark with 30,000 to 40,000 unfilled seats each night.

The NBA and NHL opted for bubbles as they set up a playoff structure, given that their seasons were close to finishing when the shutdown occurred. Obviously, the bubble environment does not allow for fans either.

The state of Washington has been one of the leaders among states trying to quash the spread of the virus. Governor Jay Inslee has been very aggressive and not shy about restrictions that limit gatherings to reduce risk of spreading COVID.

A few weeks ago, Governor Inslee, along with Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman, addressed the question of whether or not fans will be in attendance at CenturyLink Field this season

“Well, it’s not something that we’ve discussed recently," Inslee said. He deferred to Wiesman who further explained.

“I think our priority really is getting our [COVID-19 transmission] rates down to that 25 per [100,000 people in the state] that we’ve said, so we can get kids back in school. I really think that’s our main priority as we are looking at this. And as we are able to achieve that, then we may be able to look at other things that are also reasonable.”

Washington is still far from its goal of 25 cases per 100,000, currently sitting at 97.7. It does not sound like getting fans in the stands is high on the health officials' priorities. Getting schools reopened and students in classrooms once again, which has not happened, is priority number one as fall approaches.

This does not mean Seattle won't have fans at other stadiums. Teams in other states have indicated they may allow a small number of fans to attend sometime during the season. Many locations are actively trying to get fans in their stadiums before the end of the year, especially in states where the spread of coronavirus is not as serious.

A few weeks ago, the Seahawks announced that fans will not be in attendance for at least the first three games, leaving the door slightly ajar for possibilities after the third game. However, expecting the narrative from health officials to quickly change before the last scheduled home game on December 27 is unlikely, especially with flu season looming on top of the global pandemic. Fans will likely have to wait until next season to fill CenturyLink Field once again.

2. Home field advantage will all but disappear.

Baseball is the best indication of how no fans in the coronavirus environment will affect home field advantage, since they and the NFL are not playing in a bubble format. Since 2014, home teams in baseball have had a .530 winning percentage.

This season, almost two-thirds through the schedule, home teams are right at .500, essentially meaning it's a coin toss and being the home team does not give any distinct advantage.

Now, football and baseball are very different in many ways, one of which is the home field experience. However, it does seem to point towards the Seahawks losing their edge when playing at home. How could it not? Nothing artificial can replace 70,000-plus rabid Seahawks fans setting decibel records and unleashing hell on opposing offenses.

Since 2012, Seattle is 48-16 at home, among the best marks in the NFL in that time. There may not be a team that is hurt more by no fans in the stands than Seattle. Plus, the Seahawks are hosting teams that could create problems, such as the Patriots, now with Cam Newton, the Cowboys, and the Vikings in addition to the tough NFC West slate.

It's likely that the NFL will experience something similar to baseball in that home field advantage will be almost non-existent around the league, which will be noticeable in Seattle, New England, Green Bay, Baltimore and just about everywhere else.

3. Russell Wilson will set a new career high in passing yards

One advantage that the Seahawks have is that they boast one of the best quarterbacks in football and will play in stadiums that are empty. Thus, any noise created will be limited and artificial. This means less opportunities for miscommunications along the offense, including snap count, audibles, hot routes, and hearing the play in the huddle.

Less interference from opposing fans means Wilson can find a rhythm early and often with his pass catchers. He can audible at will, which will spell doom for opposing defenses.

Wilson set a career high for passing yards in 2016 with 4,219 yards. Last season, the six-time Pro Bowler tossed for 4,110 yards, around 100 yards short of his career high. Given the slight change in offensive philosophy with the additions of weapons like Greg Olsen and Phillip Dorsett, one would think he would only get better in 2020.

The environment is pointing towards offensive production all around the league getting a boost from not facing loud opposing crowds and juiced up defenses. Wilson and the Seahawks should be at the forefront of that.

4. Seattle's pass defense will improve to a top 10 unit.

The Seahawks uncharacteristically had all sorts of issues on defense last year, especially in the passing game, ranking 29th in passer rating allowed and 27th in passing yards allowed.

One instant boost Seattle has in 2020 is the acquisition of All-Pro safety Jamal Adams. Even in a normal year, his presence would remedy a lot of the previous issues in defending the pass as he will play all over the field and wreak havoc. Plus, the pass rush should produce more sacks, including Adams, who has shown an incredible ability to get after the quarterback.

Before the arrival of Adams came the trade bringing cornerback Quinton Dunbar to Seattle. He allowed a 68.4 passer rating in 2019 for Washington, which would have been the best in the secondary in Seattle last year. He adds his services at corner opposite Shaquill Griffin, fresh off of his first Pro Bowl nod.

In line with the previous point of Wilson not facing opposing crowds, there will also be less opportunities for miscommunication in the secondary. They will be able to communicate much easier mid-play as the crowd will not be there to react and provide noise.

Adding Dunbar and Adams, improving the pass rush, and the lack of crowd noise all point to the pass defense improving immensely.

5. There will be an unsung hero on offense due to outbreaks or injuries.

This is the year of uncertainty. In the blink of an eye, the Seahawks may need to replace a starter or two due to a COVID case or injury. This will be the year of unsung heroes and Seattle has plenty of options of guys who can step up to the plate.

Keep your eye on Stephen Sullivan. The Seahawks traded back into the 2020 NFL Draft to select Sullivan out of LSU in the seventh round. His physical traits suggest he could be a lethal combination of tight end size and wide receiver abilities. If Seattle loses a playmaker or two on offense, they may look to Sullivan to produce.

If the Seahawks make the playoffs, it will be, in part, due to the depth beyond their current 53-man roster. Such is life in sports in 2020.