As the Seattle Seahawks take on the Buffalo Bills this upcoming Sunday, the question is: Can they pull it off?

With so many questions left unanswered, the Seahawks have to start the season off with a road game. As a Seahawks fan you cannot help but be a little worried. The Seahawks have never been a great road team, but at home it is a whole different story. Which could be why the Seahawks are 1 point underdogs going into this game. Last season the team had a 7-1 record at home and a 3-5 record on the road. With that being said, here are a few reasons why the Seahawks could win or lose the game:

Why they could lose:

Young Wide Receiving Corp: With the loss of Bobby Engram (due to a shoulder injury) and Deion Branch (recovering from knee surgery) that would leave Nate Burleson as the only veteran wide receiver. That means quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is going to have to rely on unproven , inexperienced young wide receivers. Also, with Matt sitting out for three consecutive preseason games and missing practice due to a tight back he hasn't had any time to connect with any of the new receivers.

Timing and location: Though this shouldn't be an excuse, the Seahawks just haven't been able to adjust to the time difference when on the East Coast. The timing of the game is 1:00 PM, which happens to be 10:00 AM on the West Coast. The Seahawks usually start off very sluggish and get into a groove when it's too late, or sometimes they get off to a fast start but then collapse in the second half. There's some mystery as to why the Hawks can't seem to win a game on the road or barely win. With the game being in Buffalo this is a HUGE advantage for the Bills, just like any other team that plays at home. But with the Hawks not playing in front of the 12th Man, this could be tough for them.

Defense against the run: Last year the Buffalo Bills were known as being a one-dimensional team, with their running game being their strength. What's the Bills' strength, running the ball, is something the Seahawks defense struggles with. Last year in the Divisional Playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, running back Ryan Grant ran all over the defense. If the Buffalo Bills offense gets into a rhythm with their running game this could mean trouble for the Seahawks defense. Last year the defense gave up 22.5 points on the road compared to 14 points at home. The defense just isn't the same when they are away from Qwest Field.

Bills playing with emotion: If home field advantage was not enough the Bills will start off the game honoring Kevin Everett, who suffered a life threatening injury while trying to make a tackle during a game against the Bronco's. With that being said, they'll be pumped and wanting to get a big win, meaning they'll be playing their hearts out.

Poor Special Teams: Hopefully what fans saw in the preseason games is not what we should expect. Poor tackling, good field position for the opposing team and other things are what made fans shudder within those games. It came down to the kicker having to take out the return man three times! There is still no word on who will be doing punt returns and kickoffs, so that is still out in the open. If the special teams continues from the nightmare they had in the preseason, the Hawks will be in trouble.

Why they could win:

Defense: In the 'Why they could lose' part I stated the defense is horrible against the run, but this is a new season and things can change. Not to mention the fact that for the first time in Seattle's franchise history they have 11 returning starters on defense. With guys like Patrick Kerney, Lofa Tatupu, Julian Peterson and Leroy Hill, they could give Edwards and the Bills offense a hard time if they do well in the game. The Bills offensive line has to protect quarterback Trent Edwards, because if they do not he will more than likely have one of those guys in his face throughout the whole game. Look out for rookie DE Lawrence Jackson in his first NFL start, there was a reason he was the Seahawks first overall pick in the draft. If the defense puts enough pressure on Edwards, that could lead to mistakes, which could lead into turnovers. Seattle's defense should be a top 10 defense this year.

Pro-Bowl Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck: In Hasselbeck they trust. With Matt at the helm things should go smoothly . Despite missing time practicing with the team, Hasselbeck has proven he can bounce back and be productive. He will be able to prove he does not need a stud receiver to throw to to make big plays. Last year with no running game the team relied on the arm of Hasselbeck to take them far. Not only did he excel but he ended up having one of his best years in Seattle. He is obviously the better quarterback between he and Edwards.

Bills defense and offense ranking last year: Surprisingly, the Bills won 7 games with a one-dimensional offense and a flat-out bad defense which wasn't able to stop the run either. The Bills offense ranked 30th and their defense ranked 31st, while the Seahawks offense ranked 9th and 15th on defense. On paper, the Seahawks are just the better team.

New running game?: With the addition of T.J. Duckett, Julius Jones, offensive lineman Mike Wahle and the release of Shaun Alexander, the Seahawks have a fresh start with their running game. There is also Maurice Morris and Leonard Weaver in the mix. The best thing about the RB's this year is the fact that they can catch out of the backfield, making Hasselbeck's options at receiver endless. Which is something they couldn't do with Alexander. This group of backs seem to have a different mindset this year - they want to bring a running game back to Seattle. With the acquisition of Mike Wahle the Hawks are hoping he is the key missing since the departure of Steve Hutchinson. If the offensive line can create holes for the running backs to run through they should be able to run all over the Buffalo Bills defense.

Those are just a few of the many reason why they could win or lose. Come Sunday we will find out if the Hawks can make a statement and prove to EVERYONE that they can indeed win games on the road. Here's to hoping for a big WIN to start the season, which would raise the confidence of this team. It's up to the team to start off the game fast, build momentum and keep it throughout the whole game.

A strong start and a strong finish is key to winning. If they cannot do that, it's a loss.