Five NFL Teams Facing Early-Season Tests in October

Here are five teams whose October schedules could reveal plenty about where they stand. Seattle and Green Bay have crowded schedules, while San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas face a mix of divisional opponents, prime-time games, and tough road trips. 

Seattle Seahawks Face a Demanding October Schedule

Seattle’s October stands out for the mix of divisional pressure and a short turnaround. The Seahawks face four opponents in 22 days, including San Francisco and a Thursday road game in Denver.

Through its first two games, Seattle showed it could win in different ways. The Seahawks opened with a 13-10 victory over New England before beating Arizona 31-7 in Week 2, despite Drew Lock starting in place of the injured Sam Darnold.

The divisional matchup with San Francisco comes just four days before the trip to Denver, leaving little recovery or preparation time between two very different opponents. Kansas City then closes Seattle’s October schedule.

Current NFL lines provide one snapshot of expectations around these matchups, but Seattle’s ability to handle the full stretch may be more revealing. The Seahawks must manage a divisional game, a short week, and several demanding opponents without letting one result carry into the next.

Darnold’s Week 2 absence also provides context for Seattle’s early quarterback situation. He missed that game with a glute injury, while Drew Lock started against Arizona as the Seahawks moved toward a condensed part of their schedule.

Green Bay Packers Have Five Games to Navigate

Green Bay faces the busiest October of any team on this list. Five games in 26 days include two NFC North matchups and a four-day turnaround to close the month.

Green Bay has already shown it can respond when a game turns against it. The Packers trailed the Jets 17-7 in the fourth quarter in Week 2 before rallying for a 20-17 overtime victory.

The Bears and Lions games stand out because divisional opponents already know Green Bay’s personnel and tendencies, while Dallas adds another demanding matchup.

For Jordan Love and the offense, consistency will matter as much as peak performance. Long stretches without points can become more consequential during a crowded schedule, particularly with the Detroit and Carolina games separated by only four days.

San Francisco 49ers Get Several Different Tests

San Francisco’s October mixes divisional pressure, prime-time football, and repeated venue changes. The 49ers alternate between home and road games throughout the month, with the road game against Seattle adding an NFC West matchup.

The 49ers gave themselves a strong early platform by beating the Rams 27-7 in Australia and Miami 35-13 in their first two games. The October schedule offers more chances to test that efficiency against different opponents and in different environments.

The stretch from Seattle to Washington is worth watching because San Francisco gets eight days between those games before traveling again six days later to face Atlanta.

Fans following weekly NFL predictions and analysis can track how San Francisco’s form develops as the month progresses. For the 49ers, the key is maintaining their early execution as divisional pressure, prime-time games and road travel begin to overlap.

The Rams Get Philadelphia and Buffalo Back-to-Back

Los Angeles opens October with a demanding two-game sequence, visiting Philadelphia before hosting Buffalo on Monday night. A road trip to Philadelphia is followed by a Monday night home game against Buffalo before the Rams return to NFC West competition.

Philadelphia and Buffalo give Los Angeles consecutive tests before the schedule shifts to an NFC West matchup against Arizona. This brings divisional familiarity six days after the Buffalo game, followed by another road trip to Las Vegas.

The Rams showed their offensive ceiling in Week 2. Matthew Stafford threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-6 win over the Giants, while Davante Adams produced 195 receiving yards and two scores. Aaron Donald also returned to action after an extended absence.

The October schedule provides a broader sample for evaluating that level of production as the opposition and turnaround between games change. How the Rams respond after Philadelphia and Buffalo may be as revealing as the results of those two games.

Dallas Cowboys Face a Road-Heavy Month 

Dallas has only one home game in October and faces two different scheduling pressures. The Cowboys have a four-day turnaround early in the month, then finish with consecutive road games at Green Bay and Philadelphia.

Dallas’ offense responded strongly in Week 2, with Dak Prescott throwing four touchdown passes in a 37-20 win over Washington and CeeDee Lamb recording 153 receiving yards and two scores.

October provides a broader test of that production, particularly during late-month road games at Green Bay and Philadelphia. The Philadelphia matchup closes the month on Monday Night Football, extending a road-heavy stretch in which Dallas plays three of its four October games away from home.

October Adds More Evidence Beyond Early Form

Early results provide an initial picture, while October adds different scheduling demands. Seattle and Green Bay navigate crowded stretches, San Francisco combines divisional competition with prime-time football, the Rams face Philadelphia and Buffalo early in the month, and Dallas plays three of its four October games on the road.

Those stretches provide additional evidence about how each team adjusts as opponents accumulate more film and the season develops. October does not determine how the rest of the year will unfold, but it creates a broader sample for evaluating the form these five teams established during the opening weeks.

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Content reflects information available at the time of writing this article; subject to change.