It’s kind of wild how much the NFL can change in just a few months. Honestly, if you looked at the Seattle Seahawks Jacksonville Jaguars game on the schedule back in August, you probably thought it was just another cross-conference filler. Maybe a nice chance for Trevor Lawrence to stat-pad or for Seattle to test out their East Coast travel legs.
Boy, were we wrong.
By the time Week 6 rolled around in October 2025, this wasn't just a game; it was a collision between two teams that actually looked like contenders. People tend to forget that Jacksonville came into that game riding high. They’d just beaten the Chiefs on a Monday night. They were 4-1. The vibes in Duval were immaculate. Then Seattle showed up at EverBank Stadium and basically pulled the rug out from under them.
The Day Seattle Ruined the Party
Seattle won 20-12. That score looks close on paper, but if you actually watched it, you’ve seen a defense just absolutely suffocate a promising offense. Trevor Lawrence was sacked seven times. Seven! In one afternoon.
The Jaguars’ offensive line, which had only given up six sacks in the five games prior, just fell apart. Sam Darnold—yeah, the guy everyone keeps waiting to turn back into a pumpkin—just stayed cool. He threw for 295 yards and managed touchdowns to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp.
Wait, Cooper Kupp? Yeah, the trade that sent Kupp to the Seahawks earlier in the season still feels weird to say out loud, but seeing him in that neon green and navy blue catching a touchdown against the Jags really hammered it home.
Why the Jaguars Couldn't Close the Gap
Jacksonville’s biggest issue was self-inflicted wounds. You can’t have ten penalties for 76 yards and expect to beat a team like Seattle. Especially when one of those penalties is your star rookie, Travis Hunter, lining up offsides and nullifying a 54-yard touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr.
🔗 Read more: Cowboys Score: Why Dallas Just Can't Finish the Job When it Matters
That was the turning point.
If that play stands, Jacksonville probably wins that game. Instead, it was a momentum killer. The Jags looked like they were still celebrating the Kansas City win while the Seahawks were focused on the task at hand. It’s a classic trap game scenario that actually played out in real-time.
The Travis Hunter Dilemma
Let’s talk about Travis Hunter for a second because what the Jaguars are doing with him is basically unheard of in the modern era. He’s playing both ways—wide receiver and cornerback. It’s some old-school Ironman football.
But it came with a cost.
Hunter suffered a knee injury later in the season that cut his rookie year short. There was all this talk about whether the Jaguars’ coaching staff, led by Liam Coen, worked him too hard. Some people think 100+ snaps a game is just asking for a breakdown.
Heading into the 2026 season, the team has already confirmed they aren't backing down. General Manager James Gladstone has been pretty vocal that they still see Hunter as a two-way threat. It’s risky. It’s bold. It might be the only way the Jags keep pace in an AFC South that’s getting tougher by the minute.
💡 You might also like: Jake Paul Mike Tyson Tattoo: What Most People Get Wrong
Comparing the Rosters for 2026
If these two teams met today, the dynamic would be completely different. Seattle is leaning heavily into this "rejuvenated vet" era.
- Seattle’s Core: You’ve got Sam Darnold at the helm, backed by Jalen Milroe who they grabbed to be the future. Then you look at the weapons: Kenneth Walker III is still a monster in the backfield, and the JSN/Kupp/Shaheed trio at receiver is a nightmare for defensive coordinators.
- Jacksonville’s Core: It’s still Trevor’s team. He’s got Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers out wide. Defensively, Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are supposed to be the premier pass-rushing duo in the league, even if they only managed one sack against Seattle in their last meeting.
Seattle leads the all-time series between these two franchises. Before the 2025 win, they were already sitting on a 6-3 record against Jacksonville. Now it’s 7-3. It seems like no matter who is coaching or who is under center, the Seahawks just have the Jags' number.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
People love to talk about the "East Coast curse" for West Coast teams. There’s this idea that if a team from Seattle has to play at 1 p.m. in Florida, they’re going to be sleepwalking.
The Seahawks are actually 22-6 in their last 28 early kickoffs on the East Coast.
They don't care about the time zone. They don't care about the humidity. They showed up in Jacksonville and held Travis Etienne to just 27 yards on 12 carries. That’s not a team that’s tired; that’s a team that is better prepared.
The Trade That Shook Things Up
One detail people often overlook is the Trevis Gipson trade. Jacksonville actually sent the linebacker to Seattle in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. It seemed like a minor roster move at the time, but seeing Gipson provide depth for a Seattle defense that eventually harassed Lawrence all afternoon was a bit of a "hindsight is 20/20" moment for the Jags' front office.
📖 Related: What Place Is The Phillies In: The Real Story Behind the NL East Standings
Moving Forward into 2026
Both of these teams made the playoffs in 2025. Seattle fought their way to a division title, while the Jaguars clinched the AFC South before losing a heartbreaker to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round (27-24).
The 2025 Seattle Seahawks Jacksonville Jaguars game served as a reality check for Jacksonville. It exposed their protection issues and their discipline problems. For Seattle, it was proof that their defense under Mike Macdonald’s influence was finally hitting its stride.
If you're looking at how to value these teams for the upcoming season, keep an eye on:
- Jacksonville's O-Line Health: They can't let Trevor get hit seven times again. It doesn't matter how good Brian Thomas Jr. is if the QB is on his back.
- The Jalen Milroe Factor: How long is Sam Darnold’s leash? Seattle has a dynamic young playmaker waiting in the wings.
- Travis Hunter’s Snap Count: If the Jags don't manage his load better, the knee issues could become a recurring theme.
- Seattle's Defensive Pressure: Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II are the anchors that make that secondary's job easy.
The gap between these two isn't as wide as the 20-12 score made it seem, but until Jacksonville proves they can handle a physical, well-coached defense from the NFC West, the Seahawks will continue to be their "kryptonite."
Keep a close eye on the 2026 schedule releases. While they don't play every year, the shifting landscape of the NFL often pits these cross-conference "birds and cats" against each other in high-stakes environments. The next time they meet, expect Lawrence to have a chip on his shoulder and the Seattle secondary to be just as aggressive as ever.
For the Jaguars, the next step involves refining their protection schemes specifically for mobile, aggressive interior rushes like what they saw from Byron Murphy II. For the Seahawks, the focus remains on sustaining the veteran production of players like Cooper Kupp while transitioning the offense toward their younger playmakers. Watching the film from their October meeting is basically a masterclass in defensive gap integrity and offensive patience.