The Seahawks look to win their first road game of the season against the Colts. Kickoff for this Sunday's game is set for 10:00 a.m. PT at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. FOX will carry the game live on TV, with 710 ESPN Seattle and KIRO Radio 97.3 covering the game on radio.
Here's what national and local media members are predicting:
Seattle Times Bob Condotta expects the Seahawks to win their first away game. Condotta has the Seahawks winning over the Colts 24-20 and predicts the Seahawks offensive tempo could be a big key to win the game. "The first thing almost every Seahawk mentions when asked how the offense may differ under new coordinator Shane Waldron is a faster tempo. That includes both more use of the no-huddle, which gives more freedom to Wilson to call the offense, but also simply working more quickly overall. Wilson has often been at his best when the Seahawks go up-tempo. But that's usually been in small doses and in end-of-game or other unique circumstances. One big question is how committed Pete Carroll will be to it when the offense lulls, which is inevitable during the course of a 17-game season."
Pro Football Network Ben Rolfe has the Seahawks defeating the Colts 23 – 17. He writes: "The Seahawks have generally been strong coming across for an early East Coast kickoff, and with uncertainty surrounding the health of Carson Wentz, they have an excellent chance in this one. It is hard to see the Colts winning unless their defense can make it a low-scoring affair."
Athlon Sports Scott Whittum has the Seahawks defeating the Colts 20-17. He notes "this should be an evenly matched game that goes down to the wire if each team avoids turnovers. Seattle should be able to get enough done in the passing game with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett doing most of the damage. This also marks Carson Wentz' Colt's debut but it's expected for him to have some up-and-down moments as he continues to build chemistry with his new teammates and considering he missed time in training camp because of a foot injury. But it should not result in anything that will cause Indianapolis fans to lose faith in their team. Look for the Seahawks to sneak out of Lucas Oil Stadium with a one-score victory and come back home to deal with Tennessee next week."
CBS Sports Writer Will Brinson expects a close game, but still has the Seahawks coming out on top 24-17. "We're led to believe it will be up-tempo and that it will feature more short passing and that it will #LetRussCook. We'll see! Carson Wentz is forcing his way back despite a pretty big foot injury in the preseason. Is he going to be mobile still? Or will he be a handoff machine in this game? I would bet the Colts want to slow this thing down to a crawl. How the Seahawks respond is really fascinating because you can lure Carroll into an unnecessary slugfest pretty easily."
Fansided 12th Man Rising writer Jake Luppino says the key to the game is the Seahawks defense. "The injuries to the Colts offensive line should allow this Seattle defensive front to cause pressure. More importantly, this will mask the struggles in Seattle's secondary. The hire of Shane Waldron will add concepts to this offense that 12s haven't seen before. Russell Wilson and his "unapologetic" mindset will be on display in Week 1. Expect a lot of jet sweeps and play actions, leading to big shots down the field. Ultimately, being too much for this Colts team to handle, as we predict a 31-24 Seahawks victory."
ESPN NFL Experts: 10 of 11 experts including Dan Graziano, Dominique Foxworth, and Laura Rutledge chose Seattle over Indianapolis for Sunday's matchup.
Photos from Seahawks practice on Thursday, September 9 at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton.