4. NFL Teams That Are No Longer Pretenders – Seattle Seahawks
It is incredible to think that the Seattle Seahawks are better without Russell Wilson but the results are indisputable. While Wilson has looked like a shell of himself and flopped in Denver, Seattle collected four premium draft picks and three players while getting more offensive production with Geno Smith under center.
Smith has taken advantage of a much-delayed second chance as a starter by executing the offense in the way it was designed, allowing the Seahawks to avoid having to change their system to satisfy Wilson’s desire to be a top-tier passer. D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett remain very dangerous at wide receiver while rookie Kenneth Walker has proven to be a dynamic playmaker out of the backfield.
Despite having a suspect defense, Seattle has found ways to pick up quality victories over the course of their four-game winning streak, sweeping the Arizona Cardinals while also securing wins over the 6-2 New York Giants and 5-3 Los Angeles Chargers. As a result of this streak, the Seahawks are in first place in the NFC West at 6-3, putting themselves in a commanding position to win the division.
Sitting at six wins in the 2022 season puts any team in a good position to make a postseason run, particularly in a mediocre NFC where few teams outside of Philadelphia and Minnesota have stood out. The San Francisco 49ers remain a threat in the NFC West but there is no reason to believe that Seattle will go quietly after their impressive start to the season.