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          Seattle Seahawks 2020 season preview: Can the defense generate a pass rush?

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          • ESPN staffSep 8, 2020, 07:00 AM ET

          The Seattle Seahawks are ranked No. 7 in ESPN's Football Power Index ahead of the 2020 NFL season. With no preseason games this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, Week 1 is the first time we'll see new acquisitions and rookies for every team. Week 1 will also give us the first NFL games since Super Bowl LIV in February.

          Here's everything you need to know about the Seahawks heading into the season, from the big question to answer and the toughest stretch on their schedule to a bold prediction and potential breakout fantasy football stars.

          Full schedule | Roster | Depth chart

          The big question: Do the Seahawks have a championship-caliber pass rush?

          It was their biggest deficiency in 2019, as they turned in one of their worst defensive performances of the Pete Carroll era. The Seahawks could have the NFL's best secondary after trading for Jamal Adams and Quinton Dunbar. They spent a first-round pick on Jordyn Brooks, who joins All-Pro Bobby Wagner in a deep linebacker corps. But their pass rush has a handful of complementary pieces and no obvious primary threat like Jadeveon Clowney. One of those pieces, second-round pick Darrell Taylor, has been hurt. -- Brady Henderson

          How the pandemic has most affected the Seahawks

          The Seahawks haven't had anyone known to have contracted COVID-19. They had one player opt out, veteran offensive lineman Chance Warmack. That doesn't seem like as big of a blow now that rookie third-round pick Damien Lewis, who was going to compete with Warmack for the starting job at right guard, has been one of the more impressive players of camp. The biggest impact could come when the season begins and they don't have fans at CenturyLink Field -- for at least the first three home games -- to give them what's been one of the NFL's best home-field advantages. -- Henderson

          Football Power Index projections for the Seahawks

          Overall ranking: 7
          Offensive ranking: 6
          Defensive ranking: 15
          Special teams ranking: 19

          Total wins: 8.9
          NFC West title chances: 24.1%
          Chances to make playoffs: 57.4%
          Super Bowl chances: 3%
          2021 draft pick: No. 24

          Inside the Seahawks' schedule

          FPI's strength of schedule rank: 9

          Toughest stretch: It's a five-week stretch in the middle of the season book-ended by road and home games against an on-the-rise Cardinals team. The Seahawks will make a cross-country trip to Buffalo for an early kickoff against the Bills, who made the playoffs last season. The third road game of this stretch is against the Rams in Los Angeles, where the Seahawks have won only once in the past four years. The only other home game is against the defending NFC champion 49ers.

          Over or under 8.9 wins? Over. The Seahawks haven't won fewer than nine games since they drafted Russell Wilson in 2012, and while they were driven by an elite defense in his earlier years, Wilson wasn't playing at the MVP-caliber level that has become his norm. As long as Wilson is healthy and in his prime, nine wins feels like a baseline for Seattle. -- Henderson

          Bold prediction for 2020: Wilson will win his first MVP award

          He's been in the mix the last few years and was the front-runner for much of last season. He'll get over the hump this year with the help of a strong cast of weapons and an adjusted offensive approach. Knowing how badly Wilson wants to be unleashed, the Seahawks will put the ball in his hands earlier in games as opposed to waiting until the fourth quarter. That will help Wilson compete with Patrick Mahomes in the volume stats that determine MVP votes. -- Henderson

          Breakout fantasy star: DK Metcalf, WR

          Metcalf had a lot of critics during the months leading up to his rookie season, but it certainly appears Seattle found itself a gem. Metcalf was on the field for 83% of Seattle's snaps in his first season, having led the entire NFL with 19 end-zone targets en route to a 58-900-7 receiving line. Still only 22 years old, it's likely that we've yet to see the Ole Miss product's best work. Seattle's run-heavy scheme is a detriment, but Metcalf and his 6-foot-3, 228-pound frame have elite upside. No one should be surprised if he leaps into the WR1 discussion. -- Mike Clay

          ADP for the top players:

          The view from Vegas

          Super Bowl odds: 12-1 (opened 14-1)
          Over/under: 9.5
          Playoff odds: Yes -125, No +105

          The Seahawks finished 11-5 last season, followed by a narrow loss to the Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs. They've made the playoffs in seven of the past eight seasons, and at least the divisional round in six of the past eight, but have failed to make the conference championship game five years in a row. -- ESPN Chalk

          Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill as of Sept. 1.

          Where the Seahawks landed in NFL Rank

          Speed reads before Week 1