Field Gulls
A week 1 battle at home against a division rival brings back painful memories from the 2023 season opener.
Is the Seattle Seahawks season on the line already in Week 1?
Everyone I talk to says I’m crazy, which I already knew, but I really think the Seattle Seahawks drew an absolutely brutal draw in week one of the 2025 NFL season. As the Seahawks prepare for their home opener against their hated division rival San Francisco 49ers, I can’t help but feel immense deja vu.
The scene, the setting, the opponent. This all reminds me of Seattle’s 2023 home opener against the Los Angeles Rams. Pete Carroll had just led the Seahawks to a stunning playoff berth immediately after trading franchise signal caller Russell Wilson to Denver. There was hope and excitement in Seattle.
The 49ers, winners of the NFC West, had lost the NFC Championship the year before and Brock Purdy to a potentially devastating elbow injury. They felt mortal. The Cardinals were rebuilding (same as always) and the Rams appeared to be ready to do the same.
After a disappointing Super Bowl title defense in 2022, there were real questions about whether the Rams were gonna blow up their roster. Cooper Kupp was injured and not going to play in Week one, Matthew Stafford looked old and hurt throughout most of 2022, and the defense was fading fast as Aaron Donald was preparing for his final season.
Everything had the makings of Seattle’s rise coinciding with their division’s fall. The message was going to be sent clearly in the season opener as the Seahawks could take care of home field advantage and get the must-have home division win.
But then they played the game.
There were some clear warning signs in that first half. The Seahawks were up 13-7 despite serious time of possession concerns and had a chance to go up with just over 30 seconds left in the first half before Jason Myers doinked a 39 yard field goal. From there, the season ended.
Defensively, Pete Carroll’s defense was ripped to shreds. The Rams would go 11-17 on 3rd down for 426 total yards, 30 points and a dominant 39 minutes in time of possession. No Kupp, no problem for the Rams as Stafford was masterful and looked healthy as he created a special bond with rookie Puka Nacua, who was unheard of before this game.
On the offensive side, injuries to both Charles Cross and Abe Lucas derailed the offense as Geno Smith and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron had no answers for the Rams’ pressure on the backup tackles. 13-7 halftime lead turned into an ugly 30-13 loss, and one of the worst home openers in franchise history. The loss was also a sign of things coming to an end for the former staff and players.
While one loss doesn’t kill your season, this one was a lesson in how it can be. The Seahawks would eventually go 9-8, just missing the playoffs by...
