The Seattle Seahawks finished 9-8 on the year and failed to make the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, which meant the end for the Pete Carroll era.

In steps Mike Macdonald to be their first new head coach since Carroll took over the job in 2010. Macdonald formerly served as the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens the best two seasons.

The bad news is the Seahawks are stuck in a sort of “no man’s land”. They aren’t a great team, but they aren’t bad enough to truly get a chance to rebuild. Their last three seasons resulted in records of 7-10, 9-8, and 9-8.

Do they have what it takes to take a step forward and return to the playoffs in 2023? Let’s find out what the oddsmakers think.

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel has the Seahawks’ odds of making the playoffs this season set at +194, which is an implied probability of 34.01%. Considering they have to deal with the juggernaut San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West, those odds aren’t terrible.

We have seen new head coaches take over teams and immedately make a positive impact and if Macdonald can do that in his first year in Seattle, they’ll be in the hunt for a wild card spot in the final stretch of the season.

Unfortunately, the Seahawks did little this offseason to improve their roster. They brought in Sam Howell from the Commanders to give them a second option at quarterback if Geno Smith doesn’t meet expectations. They also re-signed Leonard Williams in a smart move for the team.

Seattle did draft one of the best defensive players available at No. 16 overall. In an unprecedented draft, offensive players were flying off the board early which allowed the Seahawks to snag Byron Murphy, the defensive lineman from Texas, with their first pick. They should be happy they were able to take him in that spot and he should make an immediate impact on their defensive line.

Even with that being the case, I don’t see enough there to convince me the Seahawks take a step forward in 2024. Even if they squak in the wild card round, don’t expect them to be a true contender in the NFC.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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