In a year where there seems to be more uncertainty at the top of the NFL than usual, perhaps it is time to look outside of the usual suspects for Super Bowl contenders. One team rising to the challenge is the Seattle Seahawks, who defeated the Arizona Cardinals 44-22 on Sunday to improve to 7-2 on the year.
Seattle is tied with the Los Angeles Rams atop the NFC West despite having a suboptimal performance from their signature running game, with both Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet delivering uneven results over the team's first nine games. While the strong play of Sam Darnold has certainly helped, there are a lot of reasons we should be taking the Seahawks more seriously as legitimate title contenders.
Why the Seahawks can win the Super Bowl
Head coach Mike Macdonald's background has been in defense and he has brought a signature flair to a Seahawks' group that was looking for a new identity in the post-Legion Of Boom era. While the LOB made their mark with elite secondary play and physicality, Macdonald's unit is more balanced and can impact their opponents in several ways.
Seattle surrenders just 90.7 yards per game on the ground, which is the fourth-best mark in the league, and they rank fifth in points allowed per game at 19.7. While the Seahawks' passing defense is in the middle of the pack in passing yardage allowed, they have built such huge leads that a decent chunk of that production has come in garbage time.
Offensively, the organization deserves credit for knowing when to cut bait with Geno Smith, who had done a strong job helping the organization move past the end of the Russel Wilson era but was plateauing with Seattle. Betting on Darnold was admittedly risky after his poor finish to the season in Minnesota, but he has thrived in the Pacific Northwest and has helped Jaxon Smith-Njibga become one of the league's best receivers.
The Seahawks are making statements week after week
A look at point differential also shows that Seattle is ruthless against its opponents, winnings its seven games by a combined 103 points, the second-largest point differential in the league behind 8-2 Indianapolis. The only teams to beat the Seahawks this season are a fully-healthy 49ers team in Week 1 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5 in a game that was a back-and-forth barn burner where Darnold went toe-to-toe with Baker Mayfield before throwing a late pick to thwart a potential game-winning drive.
The best win that Seattle has so far is a road victory in Pittsbugh in Week 2, but they will have a chance to prove their bona fides quickly over the next few weeks. Two games with the Los Angeles Rams, including Sunday's showdown for first place in the West, and a huge visit from the Colts await over the next six weeks. A visit from Minnesota in Week 13 should also be interesting for Darnold as he gets a chance to show the Vikings they made the wrong call to let him walk in free agency.
The key to Seattle's success will be if they can figure out a way to get their running game cooking again. While Darnold's ability to run the offense has been critical, expecting him to throw 40 times a game to win in January is still a risky bet. Being able to run the ball will be a big help for the Seahawks defense and if Sunday's strong rushing performance against Arizona is a sign of things to come, the road through the NFC postseason could go through Lumen Field.