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Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks’ 2018 regular-season schedule includes five prime-time games, bye following trip to London

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll walks on the sideline during the second half of an NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 31, 2017, in Seattle. (Elaine Thompson / AP)
By Bob Condotta Seattle Times

SEATTLE – Despite missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 2011, the Seahawks are still regarded as Ready for Prime Time Players as Seattle got the maximum five prime-time games when the 2018 regular season schedule was announced Thursday afternoon.

There had been some speculation that maybe the bright lights would avoid Seattle a little bit this season with the Seahawks dipping to a 9-7 record in 2017 and in the midst of an offseason in which the team has shed some of its biggest names.

Instead, the NFL made the Seahawks one of 10 teams to get the max five prime-time games, the sixth straight year Seattle has had at least four.

Seattle will host three prime-time games in December as part of a finishing kick in which the Seahawks will be at home for four of their final five games.

But Seattle will also start with its first two games on the road – at Denver on Sept. 9 then at Chicago on Sept, 17 on a Monday night – and will have three of its first four away from home.

In fact, the Seahawks will play only two home games before November with five of their first seven games on the road.

The first of the two pre-November games in Seattle is the home opener on Sept. 23 against Dallas.

The other comes on Oct. 7 against the the defending NFC West division champ Rams, the week before the Seahawks head to London to play Oakland.

Seattle wanted a home game before it played what will be the Seahawks’ first regular-season game outside of North America (Seattle played Buffalo in Toronto in 2012).

The Raiders will also be at home the week before heading to London (hosting the Chargers) putting the two teams on even travel footing.

Seattle will then have its bye following the trip to London, week seven of the NFL season.

Among Seattle’s prime-time games is a Dec. 2 Sunday nighter at CenturyLink Field against the 49ers in what will be Richard Sherman’s return to Seattle.

Other prime-time games include a Thursday night home game against the Packers on Nov. 15, a Monday night game Dec. 10 against Minnesota and a Sunday nighter on Dec. 23 against Kansas City.

The schedule also includes only two of the dreaded 10 a.m. starts – Oct. 28 at Detroit and Nov. 25 at Carolina.

The game against the Raiders in London is also at 10 a.m. Pacific time, which is 6 p.m. in London.

Opponents were determined via the NFL’s scheduling formula and were known when the 2017 season ended, with the league releasing dates, times and TV affiliations on Thursday.

All Sunday games from week five forward are also subject to being flexed, meaning they could either be moved to prime time (teams with five prime-time games originally scheduled can have another one flexed to prime time) or out of prime time, depending on the attractiveness of the matchup.

Seattle’s preseason schedule includes home games against Indianapolis and Oakland, along with trips to Minnesota and Los Angeles to face the Chargers. Times and dates for all preseason games have yet to be determined.