Ending the NFL regular season as a No. 1 seed with a first-round playoff bye always comes with a caveat: facing a first-place schedule in the following season. The Seattle Seahawks will fall victim to this as they are the NFC champions, but who are we kidding? Whose complaining?
The Seahawks wouldn't trade their current status or position for the sake of next year's schedule; they're ready for a deep playoff run that hopefully leads to a Super Bowl win — an achievement this team can definitely achieve.
But that is now, and next year, the Seahawks will indeed face tougher opponents, and that's not including the two rivals in their own division.