There’s a lot of offense in the NFL right now, and that’s exactly what made the Seattle Seahawks stand out in Week 1.
Across 13 games yesterday, points came in waves. Six matchups cleared 60.
Bears-Panthers turned into a 96-point shootout. Jacksonville had 34 points on the board in the first three quarters.
Even the Giants, with only 28 points, controlled the game in a way that made their offense look just as overwhelming as any of the day’s higher-scoring teams. If you wanted fireworks, the league delivered.
The numbers backed it up. Sunday’s games averaged 53.3 points, which is a Week 1 record in NFL history.
Even if you fold in the Wednesday and Thursday games, the average of 50 still stands as a Week 1 record in the Super Bowl era. And with one game left, the overall picture is hard to miss: defense has been in short supply.
That’s what makes Seattle’s showing matter. Through the first wave of games, the Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers were the two teams that could really pound their chests on defense.
San Francisco held the Rams, 2025’s top offense, to seven points. Seattle did something almost as eye-catching, bottling up 2025’s second-best offense, the New England Patriots, and limiting them to 10.
The Cardinals would get the bronze medal in that conversation, but the gap after that is clear. The Jets, Steelers, Jaguars, Raiders, and Patriots all had solid defensive days, though the degree of difficulty wasn’t nearly the same.
Seattle’s performance looked even sharper because of what the roster was missing. Boye Mafe, Coby Bryant, and Riq Woolen were out, and Nick Emmanwori and Ty Okada also missed the game. That’s a lot to absorb, especially against a New England offense that had the second-highest point total in the NFL last season and added to its offensive line and receiver group.
A.J. Brown did go down in the third quarter, but the bigger point still held: the Patriots’ body of work never looked better than what they put together in Super Bowl LX back in February. And with what this defense has already lost since then, that makes Seattle’s opener even more impressive.
If there’s a lesson from the opening week, it’s that a lot of teams are still searching for answers on defense. The Seahawks, under Mike Macdonald, already look like they have theirs. In a league leaning hard toward offense, that kind of defensive command stands out fast.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Sam Darnold Problem They Can't Yet Solve
The Seahawks are sorting through an early quarterback setback after Sam Darnold was ruled out with what the team now says is a glute injury, not the hip issue that was first reported. The expectation is that he will miss Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals, leaving Seattle to lean on Drew Lock to keep the offense steady while Darnold heals up.
For a team that brought Darnold in to stabilize the position, the timing is hardly ideal, especially with a division game next on the schedule. Seattle is hopeful the injury is short-term and will get a clearer read on his status after this week, but for now the focus shifts to whether Lock can keep the Seahawks on track until the starter is ready to return. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Just Got A Break In A Crucial 49ers Matchup
The 49ers are already dealing with an early setback at wide receiver, and it comes at an awkward time with Seattle watching the NFC West race closely. Rookie DeZhaun Stribling, who was injured in the Week 1 game against the Rams, is expected to miss at least a month after suffering a deltoid ligament injury, leaving San Francisco a little thinner in a part of the offense that was supposed to help open things up.
Stribling had briefly returned to the game after the injury before leaving later on a non-contact play, and his absence could matter in ways that go beyond one receiver's target share. His speed was part of the 49ers plan to stretch the field, so Seattle will take any break it can get in a matchup that already carries plenty of weight in the division. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Injury Trouble Just Raised The Stakes In The NFC West
The first week of the NFC West season already felt like it came with an asterisk, and the latest injury news only adds to the uncertainty. Seattle is dealing with quarterback Sam Darnold being sidelined by a glute tendon issue, while the Rams are already bracing for a stretch without linebacker Myles Garrett after knee surgery. Layer those absences onto the opening results, with San Francisco handling Los Angeles decisively and Arizona beating the Chargers, and the division picture suddenly looks a lot less settled than it did a few days ago.
For the Seahawks, the timing matters as much as the injury itself. Early September is supposed to be about establishing footing, but instead the NFC West is already being shaped by health, depth, and how quickly teams can absorb losses at key spots. Seattle has every reason to monitor the ripple effects closely, because a division that looked like a tight race on paper is already tilting in ways that could matter later, even if the full impact is still to come. [Read more 🡒]