The Seattle Seahawks are driving excessive on a four-game successful streak, with three of these victories coming towards 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.
Several of this week’s nationwide energy rankings from notable media retailers have gotten the Seahawks within the high 10. Does that imply something apart from how outsiders view this staff? No. Is it noteworthy that the Seahawks are being taken significantly as a playoff-caliber squad? Sure! Let’s do a roundup.
ESPN: No. 13 (Last week: No. 13)
Week 14 end result: 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 fee. 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 truth in Ryan Grubb’s first season as coordinator. Quite a few elements contributed, together with repeated struggles to remain on schedule, some massive 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 recreation may be rising after breaking out for a season-high 176 yards Sunday. — Brady Henderson
The Athletic: No. 9 (Last week: No. 12)
Last week: 12
Sunday: Beat Arizona Cardinals 30-18
Breakout participant: Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba
This is the participant Seattle thought it was getting when it took Smith-Njigba with the twentieth decide final yr. 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 recreation (104.6) since Week 9.
Yahoo: No. 12 (Last week: No. 13)
The Seahawks are 4-0 since their bye and they’re thriving underneath 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 (Last week: No. 14)
That’s now 4 straight wins for the swashbuckling Seahawks, who secured a extremely necessary 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 handing over a career-best 193 yards from scrimmage, together with a 51-yard landing run that was a profession spotlight. The Seahawks nonetheless need to run by means of many of the NFC North over the following three weeks, organising what might be a Week 18 showdown on the Rams for the NFC West crown. Geno Smith’s 12 INTs have been getting just a little 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: No. 10 (Last week: No. 11)
This staff 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.
Last week’s rating: No. 11
Last week’s end result: beat Arizona, 30–18
This week: vs. Green Bay
Credit to the Seahawks’ offensive workers. Their pre-snap movement within the operating recreation 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 all my favourite cheeky maneuvers of the season.
Heading into this recreation, Seattle was one of many least efficient pre-snap movement groups within the NFL.
Last 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 towards the once-second-place Cardinals. As a end result, Seattle is in line for the primary house playoff recreation 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 (Last week: No. 10)
Since the wild swings of its 3-3 begin to the season, Seattle has gotten wholesome, discovered some schematic solutions on either side of the ball, and gone 5-2 prior to now two months. Sunday’s rematch towards the Cardinals was a serious take a look at for whether or not this workers had the game-planning chops to make changes towards a current opponent—particularly on the street—and the Seahawks received with an method that was completely totally different from the one we noticed of their win towards Arizona two weeks in the past. Defensive backs have 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 recreation.
This offense is enjoying higher up entrance, and younger ability place guys like Zach Charbonnet and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are main the way in which; I’m all in on Macdonald and his staff within the NFC West.
With house video games towards the Green Bay Packers (9-4) and Minnesota Vikings (11-2) proper across the nook, the Seahawks may doubtlessly be within the high 5 of a few of these energy rankings in the event that they prolong the successful streak to 6. More importantly, holding the successful streak going is how Seattle can clinch a playoff berth.
