The Seattle Seahawks are driving excessive on a four-game profitable streak, with three of these victories coming in opposition to their NFC West rivals. This season-saving surge has Seattle main the division with 4 weeks to go, one thing that appeared scarcely plausible in early November.
A number of of this week’s nationwide energy rankings from notable media shops have gotten the Seahawks within the high 10. Does that imply something apart from how outsiders view this crew? No. Is it noteworthy that the Seahawks are being taken significantly as a playoff-caliber squad? Positive! Let’s do a roundup.
ESPN: No. 13 (Final week: No. 13)
Week 14 outcome: Beat the Cardinals 30-18
Week 14 rating: 13
Most surprising rating: Quarterback Geno Smith is second in passing makes an attempt
Smith has thrown 466 passes, and the Seahawks are fifth in designed move charge. Few anticipated their offense to be that move heavy with a defensive-minded coach in Mike Macdonald who needs to run the ball, however that has been the fact in Ryan Grubb’s first season as coordinator. A lot of elements contributed, together with repeated struggles to remain on schedule, some giant deficits that put Seattle in dropback mode and maybe Grubb’s pass-first inclination. The Seahawks additionally haven’t been efficient at operating the ball for a lot of the season, although their run sport may be rising after breaking out for a season-high 176 yards Sunday. — Brady Henderson
The Athletic: No. 9 (Final week: No. 12)
Final week: 12
Sunday: Beat Arizona Cardinals 30-18
Breakout participant: Extensive receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba
That is the participant Seattle thought it was getting when it took Smith-Njigba with the twentieth choose final 12 months. He leads the Seahawks with 75 catches for 911 yards, which is 12 extra catches and 283 yards greater than he had all of final season. He had 5 catches for 82 yards Sunday, and he’s third in receiving yards per sport (104.6) since Week 9.
Yahoo: No. 12 (Final week: No. 13)
The Seahawks are 4-0 since their bye and they’re thriving below rookie head coach Mike Macdonald. A win Sunday over the Cardinals made them the brand new favourite to seize the NFC West. And operating again Zach Charbonnet having a profession day (193 whole yards) is a pleasant growth going ahead.
NFL.com: No. 13 (Final week: No. 14)
That’s now 4 straight wins for the swashbuckling Seahawks, who secured a extremely vital season sweep of Arizona. They intercepted Kyler Murray twice in a three-play offensive span for Arizona, and each picks led to Seahawks touchdowns. On offense, the large story Sunday was Zach Charbonnet stepping in for the injured Kenneth Walker III and delivering a career-best 193 yards from scrimmage, together with a 51-yard landing run that was a profession spotlight. The Seahawks nonetheless must run by a lot of the NFC North over the following three weeks, establishing what may very well be a Week 18 showdown on the Rams for the NFC West crown. Geno Smith’s 12 INTs had been getting a little bit regarding as he performed some fast-and-loose ball for a bit, however he’s proven higher restraint the previous two video games, not turning the ball over in both one.
CBS Sports activities: No. 10 (Final week: No. 11)
This crew is surging with 4 straight victories to take command of the NFC West. The protection has actually come alive as they able to face the Packers.
Final week’s rating: No. 11
Final week’s outcome: beat Arizona, 30–18
This week: vs. Inexperienced Bay
Credit score to the Seahawks’ offensive employees. Their pre-snap movement within the operating sport had the Cardinals’ linebackers on skates and made the distinction on a number of big-time runs from Zach Charbonnet. The jet sweep handoff to Charbonnet on the 1-yard landing was one in every of my favourite cheeky maneuvers of the season.
Heading into this sport, Seattle was one of many least efficient pre-snap movement groups within the NFL.
Final week’s rank: 12
After a midseason malaise, the Seahawks have now received 4 straight video games in resounding style, together with two of three in opposition to the once-second-place Cardinals. In consequence, Seattle is in line for the primary house playoff sport of the brief Geno Smith period. With an eclectic mixture of playmaking and well timed protection, one thing tells me the Seahawks have an actual shot of at the least attending to the divisional spherical. — RZ
The Ringer: No. 9 (Final week: No. 10)
For the reason that wild swings of its 3-3 begin to the season, Seattle has gotten wholesome, discovered some schematic solutions on each side of the ball, and gone 5-2 prior to now two months. Sunday’s rematch in opposition to the Cardinals was a serious take a look at for whether or not this employees had the game-planning chops to make changes in opposition to a latest opponent—particularly on the street—and the Seahawks received with an strategy that was totally totally different from the one we noticed of their win in opposition to Arizona two weeks in the past. Defensive backs had been sitting on Arizona’s receivers and anticipating route ideas and the timing of the offense, and the Seahawks conceded some yardage on the bottom to maintain the Cardinals from discovering explosives within the passing sport.
This offense is taking part in higher up entrance, and younger ability place guys like Zach Charbonnet and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are main the best way; I’m all in on Macdonald and his crew within the NFC West.
With house video games in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers (9-4) and Minnesota Vikings (11-2) proper across the nook, the Seahawks might doubtlessly be within the high 5 of a few of these energy rankings in the event that they prolong the profitable streak to 6. Extra importantly, retaining the profitable streak going is how Seattle can clinch a playoff berth.
