Russell Wilson Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson won't see a lot of snaps, if any, against the Raiders. Reuters

The Seattle Seahawks have become one of the favorites in the NFC, with many experts predicting them to win the 2014 Super Bowl. They have only played three preseason games, but so far, the team has lived up to expectations.

Russell Wilson and company are 3-0 in their exhibition contests and hoping to enter the 2013 regular season undefeated. They’ll look to improve their record to 4-0 on Thursday night when they host the Oakland Raiders. It’s the final preseason game for both teams in 2013.

Prospective starters usually barely play in the fourth exhibition game after staying on the field for much of the third one. Last week, the Seahawks first-stringers did their part to defeat the Green Bay Packers 17-10. Wilson didn’t have his best day, throwing for 126 yards and two interceptions. Seattle was carried by the rushing game, led by rookie Christine Michael. He picked up 97 yards on 11 attempts, contributing to the team’s 6.1 yards per carry average.

Heading into next week’s opener against the Carolina Panthers, head coach Pete Carroll doesn’t have many big decisions to make at key positions. Raiders head coach Dennis Allen, however, doesn’t have the benefit of being able to start players like Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch. Oakland heads into the contest still looking to sure up a large portion of its depth chart.

With one week left until the meaningful games begin, the Raiders haven’t decided upon their starting quarterback. Matt Flynn has been the long running favorite to win the job, but his poor play has kept the competition alive. Against the Chicago Bears last Friday, the signal caller completed three of six passes and threw two interceptions. Terrelle Pryor, the biggest threat to Flynn, was impressive. He recorded a 146.8 passer rating with one throwing touchdown, and added a score on the ground.

"I'll make (the decision) some time before the first game," said Oakland’s head coach. "I think the competition has been good. I think both at times have looked good. I think Terrelle has an extra element with his athletic skills that lends to some playmaking ability and we want to put him in a position to continue to do that."

The Seahawks are the biggest favorites for the final preseason weekend with a seven-point edge.

The contest won’t air nationally, but can be seen with a live stream online for those who have purchased NFL Preseason Live. Coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET.

National Football League