Behind Seahawks enemy lines, Week 2: A big road game in Pittsburgh

The Seahawks’ 2025 schedule is packed with games that should be very close. While the disappointment is real, the Seahawks were defeated by a blunder on the 49ers’ final drive, yet they still had a chance to win the game. It may not have been a brilliant game, but it was a close one, and now the Seahawks turn their attention to an important early-season road matchup versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Let’s Go!

The Seahawks could start 0-2 for the first time in seven years

The Seahawks have started the season 0-2 only three times since John Schneider became the team’s general manager:

• 2011: The Seahawks lost to the 49ers and Steelers in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively. The only difference is that both games were away games. Seattle missed the playoffs that year with a 7-9 record;
• 2015: The Seahawks finished the year 10-6, made the playoffs, beat the Vikings in that scorching game (thanks, Blair Walsh), and were defeated by the Panthers in the Divisional;
• 2018: The Seahawks lost to the Broncos and Bears on the road and again finished the year 10-6. They qualified for the playoffs but were eliminated by the Cowboys in the Wild Card round.

On the two occasions we made the playoffs, we were led by Russell Wilson as QB, essentially in his prime. It’s hard to believe that Sam Darnold will carry this team on his shoulders like RW3 did.

From 1990 through the 2023 season, 279 teams have opened 0-2. Only 32 of them made the postseason. That’s 11.5%, an incredibly low number. The NFL expanded the playoffs to include 14 teams beginning in 2020, so the odds should be slightly better moving forward.

Of those 279 teams, only 17 won their division (6.1%) and three won the Super Bowl (1.1%). In NFL history, only the 1993 Dallas Cowboys, the 2001 New England Patriots and the 2007 New York Giants have ever won a Super Bowl after starting 0-2.

Running backs need to be contained

The title may seem strange given that the Seahawks gave up 3.3 yards per carry on 36 attempts. Their performance against the run game was excellent and needs to be maintained, especially considering the Steelers recorded 20 carries for just 53 yards and no touchdowns.

However, in the passing game, the team seemed to lack the same efficiency. Christian McCaffrey had 73 receiving yards, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk had 32 more. The Steelers have Jaylen Warren in their backfield, who has a new contract as of a few weeks ago. Obviously, he isn’t the same threat as CMC, but he’s a good receiver out of the backfield. He can be a backup for the experienced QB when the pressure is on; Warren had 22 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Jets.

One of the reasons they severely limited the Steelers’ running game was by forcing the RBs to cut back. This allowed the DTs and LBs to make tackles.

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