The Seattle Seahawks will begin their Super Bowl defense with the kind of early-season run that could quickly put the rest of the NFC on notice, at least according to a specific national prediction.
CBS Sports’ John Breech projected Seattle to open the 2026 season 5-0 in an Aug. 19 exercise predicting when every NFL team will suffer its first loss.
He has the Seahawks finally stumbling at the Denver Broncos in Week 6 before returning home and handing the Kansas City Chiefs their first defeat one week later.
That would give Seattle a 6-1 record through seven games, with five straight victories to open the season and another major primetime win.
Breech’s take suggests the Super Bowl title-caliber defense could gain momentum right off the bat.
CBS Sports Predicts Seahawks Will Race to 5-0 Start
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 20: Head coach Mike Macdonald of the Seattle Seahawks looks on during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 20, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Seattle’s opening stretch begins with a Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots on Sept. 9 at Lumen Field.
Breech isn’t expecting a letdown from February. In fact, he noted New England’s first loss will come in Seattle and suggested the home-field setting could make the rematch even more lopsided than Super Bowl LX.
The Seahawks beat the Patriots 29-13 in February to claim the second championship in franchise history, completing a season in which they went 14-3 before winning three postseason games.
Seattle’s official 2026 schedule then sends the Seahawks to the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders before they return home for games against the Los Angeles Chargers and San Francisco 49ers.
Under Breech’s projection, Seattle survives all five of those matchups without a loss.
The expected slip comes under certain circumstances.
Seattle plays San Francisco on Sunday, Oct. 11, then travels to face Denver on Thursday, Oct. 15. CBS cited the short turnaround and the road trip as the primary reasons for picking the Broncos to end the Seahawks’ perfect start.
Breech wrote that Seattle would have only three days of rest before facing a Denver team he expects to rank among the AFC’s best.
Even with that loss included, a 5-0 opening would put the defending champions in a favorable position before the schedule reaches its second half.
Seahawks Picked to Hand Chiefs Their First Loss
The more eye-catching portion of CBS’ projection comes after Denver.
Breech has Kansas City reaching Week 7 undefeated after missing the playoffs last season. The Chiefs then travel to Lumen Field for a Sunday night game on Oct. 25.
CBS picked Seattle to win.
Breech described the Seahawks as a “buzzsaw” in that setting and pointed to the recent championship history surrounding the matchup.
Seattle and Kansas City have combined to appear in eight of the past 13 Super Bowls.
The Seahawks’ official schedule breakdown also highlighted the matchup as a natural primetime attraction, pointing to Patrick Mahomes as one of the NFL’s biggest stars. A
late-October visit from Kansas City already carried noteworthy national appeal; a potential undefeated record would pull further attention.
There are various elements that can change before October.
Seattle must navigate a title-defense opener, two early road trips, an NFC West matchup and a short-week game in Denver before the Chiefs arrive.
CBS’ forecast lends a striking sketch of what the Seahawks’ first seven weeks could become, and for the defending champions, that would qualify as a strong opening statement.
Seattle Seahawks Projected to Hand Chiefs First Loss After Undefeated Start