5 predictions for the Seahawks vs. Raiders preseason game

It’s time for Seattle Seahawks football again! Preseason begins with a home game against the Las Vegas Raiders, and while preseason is usually a chore to sit through, it feels different given the excitement among Seahawks fans regarding the roster, the new offensive coaches, a new rookie quarterback, and oh yes, the return of some former Seahawks on the other sideline.

This series was created almost by accident last year, and now I’ve decided it’s a regular feature to make five predictions for each Seahawks game. It’s the preseason so this is going to be a little lighter than what you’d see in the regular season, but the format is otherwise unchanged.

Bold prediction: There will be some boos for Geno Smith

I did not say a majority of the fans will boo, but they’ll at least be audible if he so much as comes out on the field for warmups and people are recording. The relationship between Seahawks fans and Geno is an interesting one. When Russell Wilson left, it was clear that fan opinion was going against him for the manner in which the trade transpired, but I bet you if he returned to Lumen Field now there would be cheers. Geno was the guy who replaced Russ and that was a near-impossible act to follow. The “GENO!” chants when he filled in for Wilson in that 2021 game against the Los Angeles Rams was probably the beginning of the end for Russ as a Seahawk, and then Smith was one of the premier stories of the 2022 season.

These last two seasons have not been as kind to Smith. You’re a great story until you aren’t, and fans can turn on you in an instant. Not everyone will dissect the Seahawks offense and see that Seattle’s offensive woes extended way beyond Smith; they’ll just see the interceptions and red zone inefficiencies and point to Geno as the main source. It’s also not lost on me that Smith’s goodbye message to Seattle was a fairly short one.

Any booing by fans will not be out of the notion that Smith is a villainous figure, but instead dislike of him as a quarterback. He may be seen by some as a hindrance to getting an actual long-term, young QB. It ain’t his fault and I sure as hell don’t agree with any booing, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think some booing will happen. I anticipate appreciate cheers (mostly), indifference, and some booing in that order.

No, I’m not giving you a take on Jamal Adams.

Seahawks offense prediction: Jalen Milroe will score at least one rushing touchdown

I’ve seen enough of Milroe in-person to realize that he should be the best and fastest athlete on the field against second- and third-stringers. It’s a totally different story if he’s going up against starters; I don’t want to pretend he didn’t have issues with bad sacks in college. His speed looks effortless and we know how elusive he can be when he gets into the open field.

Milroe is likely to be used frequently in read-option, RPOs, QB Power, and QB Draw throughout preseason. This should get him into the end zone at least once on Thursday night, and he may instantly prove to be the red zone weapon the Seahawks have been looking for.

For good measure, maybe we get a great Milroe deep pass for a touchdown or at least an explosive play, but I think the fanbase will quickly be thrilled by his runs early on.

Seahawks defense prediction:Multiple turnovers forced

Sure, why not? The Seahawks were not especially great at generating takeaways last season, ranking in the middle of the pack. Even in preseason, I anticipate a more aggressive defense that will really get to pin its ears back if it dares to play with comfortable leads, something the Seahawks have seldom had over the past several seasons.

While it’d be cool and easy to predict a forced fumble or an interception by Nick Emmanwori, I’d dig a little deeper on the depth chart and keep an eye out for Ty Okada and Damarion Williams. I was impressed by Williams in his 1-on-1 and 11-on-11 reps, and he seems to have a nose for the ball.

Raiders prediction: Pete Carroll will waste a challenge

Did you see Pete in the mock game? I’ve no clue what the context of the challenge is or why he’s making challenge calls in a mock game, but he did do it. For the sake of old times, I think he’s going to put that red flag to wasteful use and cost the Raiders a timeout over a catch vs. no-catch decision.

Game prediction: Seahawks win, but who cares?

All I want out of the preseason is for the Seahawks to come out of it healthy, whole, and with roster battles settled. The score is secondary even though I want the Seahawks to win every game. Preseason is usually a low-scoring affair, so I’ll go with 20-13 and a late defensive stand by the third-string secures the W at home.