They came close to an upset, but in the end the Seattle Seahawks just couldn't close the deal against the San Francisco 49ers in their season opener. Now, they have no time to lick their wounds. Seattle needs to get back into the win column right away to avoid the dreaded 0-2 start to the season.
Next up on the schedule is a trip to the east coast to face DK Metcalf, Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers in an early kickoff next week. According to the early odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, the Seahawks are 2.5-point underdogs for Week 2.
As the Seahawks were playing out a playoff-type defensive slugfest with the Niners, the Steelers were visiting the New York Jets. While it's only one game the four-time MVP was able to turn back the clock and put in a vintage performance, totaling four touchdowns, no interceptions and a 136.7 passer rating in a 34-32 win.
Pittsburgh's leading pass-catcher was former Seahawks star DK Metcalf, who put up a team-high 83 receiving yards on four catches. Metcalf signed a four-year, $132 million deal with the Steelers after getting traded from Seattle this offseason.
In Metcalf's absence Jaxon Smith-Njigba is now Seattle's undisputed WR1 and he proved that in the season opener against San Francisco. JSN totaled a team-best nine catches and 124 yards against the 49ers, including a couple of clutch catches that put them in range for a game-winning touchdown, but Seattle was unable to finish the drive.
The Steelers lead the all-time series between these teams 11-10 and have won the last two matchups. That includes an overtime thriller in Pittsburgh in 2021 and a upset in Seattle near the end of the 2023 season.
A loss this week would be devastating for the Seahawks' playoff odds, but they have been close to unbeatable in these 10:00 am Pacific time kickoffs in recent years.
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