The Seahawks are gearing up for their first road matchup of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday and preparing for a 10 a.m. PT game. Last season the Seahawks had success on the road going 7-1 and in particular were good in 10 a.m. PT kickoffs going 3-0 in Mike Macdonald's first season.
"Going to Pittsburgh, so it's our first 10:00 a.m. game of the year. Had a lot of experience with it last year, so in terms of process, [it will] be more of the same, rather than a bunch of changeups and looking forward to playing in a great environment against a really good football team that we respect a lot."
Last season, Seattle beat the Patriots (23-20), Falcons (34-14) and Jets (26-21) on the road in 10 a.m. PT kickoffs. In the last 24 early kickoffs, Seattle has won 19 of those matchups. The travel from the West Coast out to the east, according to Leonard Williams is tougher than the other way around.
"For me it's a lot harder going west to east for sure," he said. "When you're traveling east to west, you still leave the day before because you're gaining time. You get back really late though. So the recovery after kind of sucked. But once I started playing for Seahawks, that was my first time ever learning teams would travel two days before and it is tough. You don't get adjusted to the time change and things like that. But I mean, we've been making it work."
Like Williams said, when traveling out east, Seattle, since they're out west, travel two days before a game, meaning leaving on a Friday before a Sunday game. This gives the players some time to try to get their body clocks adjusted and ready for a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff that feels more like a 10 a.m. PT kickoff for them.
Despite it being tough, the Seahawks seemed to have found a road process that works for them. And traveling to an opponent's stadium also adds in extra juice too.
"Because we're in enemy territory, because we're traveling, because we have all these things going against us, sometimes we have no choice but to come together and just know that it's us against the world type of feeling," Williams said. "And I think in those moments it just makes us play together as a team."
While the road record had been very good, the same can't be said about the home record and that is something that is top of mind for players and coaches alike.
"It is definitely something that we've been trying to figure out," Williams said. "Definitely something that we owe it to our fans, we owe it to our stadium. I'm definitely tired of seeing other fans and jerseys and stuff like that in the stadium, but we can't blame the stadium or the fans for that. It's like we have to take accountability and we haven't been doing a good enough job of winning at home, so we're trying to figure it out."
The Seahawks and Steelers face off on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. Kickoff is set for 10:00 a.m. PT. Take a look back through history at the Seahawks' matchups against the Steelers.
Franco Harris of the Steelers carried for short yardaga in first quarter action Sunday, Dec. 4, 1977 past Seattle Seahawks Bob Lurtsema (70). Harris rushed for more than 100 yards for the twenty-eight time in his career, only two other players have done it more often. Harris also went over the 1000 yard mark for the year. (AP Photo)
Steelers Franco Harris (32) gets past Seahawks Bill Gregory (77) for Pittsburgh's third touchdown of the game, Sept. 11, 1978. The Steelers won the game in Pittsburgh, 21-10. (AP Photo/R.C. Greenawalt)
Steve Largent of the Seattle Seahawks runs with the ball during game action against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Nov. 8, 1981. (AP Photo)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris (32) is tackled for no gain by Seattle Seahawk conerback Keith Simpson (42) in the first quarter of their National Football League game in the Seattle Kingdome, Nov. 28, 1982. (AP Photo/Gary Stewart)
Franco Harris (32) of the Pittsburgh Steelers slides into the end zone for six points after being hits by Kenny Easley (45) and Kerry Justin of the Seattle Seahawks in the first quarter of their game in Seattle, Wash., Oct. 23, 1983. Harris went nine yards for the score. (AP Photo/Barry Sweet)
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Brian Bosworth (55) sets for play during a 13-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 6, 1987 at The Kingdome in Seattle, Washington. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Rick Mirer (3) is sacked for a seven-yard-loss by Kevin Henry (76) of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter of their NFL game in Seattle, Wash., Sunday, Dec. 26, 1993. (AP Photos/Gary Stewart)
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive center Dermontti Dawson (63) looks up from the field with his helmet up during a NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on September 25, 1994 in Seattle. The Seahawks won the game 30-13. (AP Photo/Paul Jasienski)
Seattle Seahawks punt returner Charlie Rogers (31) evades Pittsburgh Steelers' John Fiala as he runs the Josh Miller punt back for a touchdown in the first quarter in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Sept. 26, 1999. Steelers Dewayne Washington (20) Orpheus Roye, (71) Kevin Henry (76) and Carlos Emmons (51) watch from the sidelines. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Seattle Seahawks' Shaun Alexander celebrates as he runs off the field after the 23-16 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Seattle Sunday Nov. 2, 2003. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Isaiah Kacyvenski, left, and J.P. Darche (52) bring down Pittsburgh Steelers' Antwaan Randle El during a punt return as Seahawks' Orlando Huff (57) comes in on the play in the fourth quarter Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, in Seattle. The Seahawks won, 23-16. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens (86) catches a pass in the end zone for a touchdown in the third quarter of the Super Bowl XL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis (36) is tackled during the third quarter of play against the Seattle Seahawks at the Super Bowl XL football game, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger dives in for a one-yard touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter of play at the Super Bowl XL football game, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Pittsburgh Steelers line backer James Farrior (51) tackles Seattle Seahawks tight end Marcus Pollard (88) as Ryan Clark (25) runs at the football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
