The Seahawks didn’t just beat the Patriots in Week 1 - they kept the national spotlight squarely on them, even with Sam Darnold sidelined by a glute injury. Across five major power rankings, Seattle either held its perch or climbed higher, and the message from the national media was pretty clear: the defending Super Bowl champs are still very much the team to beat.
ESPN kept Seattle at No. 2, the same spot the Seahawks occupied before the season. In its ranking, ESPN pointed to rookie running back Jadarian Price’s strong debut and gave credit to safety Rodney Thomas II, who stepped in for the injured Ty Okada. Buffalo was the only team ranked ahead of Seattle.
CBS Sports and Pro Football Talk had already started the season with Seattle at No. 1, and neither outlet budged after the win over New England. CBS showed confidence that the Seahawks can keep rolling with backup quarterback Drew Lock running the offense. PFT kept the Seahawks at the top as well, though it also raised the question of how long the team can keep winning with Lock at quarterback.
The biggest movement came from NFL.com and Bleacher Report. Neither had Seattle at No. 1 entering the year, but both pushed the Seahawks into the top spot after Week 1. NFL.com made the biggest leap, moving Seattle from No. 3 to No. 1 and highlighting the comeback in the second half, powered by three fourth-quarter takeaways and a Jaxon Smith-Njigba touchdown.
Bleacher Report also moved Seattle from second to first, saying the Seahawks’ win with Lock at quarterback showed just how dominant they are. B/R added that the “Seahawks should’ve been No.1 to start out power rankings.” The Rams were the team bumped aside, and they dropped to sixth in B/R’s rankings.
And the Rams didn’t just slip there. ESPN moved Los Angeles from first to fourth, NFL.com sent them from first to seventh, CBS Sports dropped them from second to fifth, and PFT pushed them all the way down from second to 11th.
For Seattle, the overall picture is simple: the national view of this team is still strong, and maybe even a little stronger than it was before kickoff. The average ranking across the five outlets moved from 1.8 entering the season to 1.2 this week.
Now the Seahawks head into next week with Drew Lock again expected to be under center against the Arizona Cardinals. They should still be favored, but the NFL doesn’t hand out much grace. If Seattle stumbles, it could find itself making the same kind of slide the Rams just made.
In Other News...
Seahawks May Have A Surprise Week 2 Spark Fans Will Love
Sam Darnolds hip and glute issue has opened the door for a different look under center in Week 2, with Drew Lock expected to start for Seattle. It also puts Jalen Milroe in position as the backup, and that alone gives the Seahawks a little extra intrigue heading into the matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
Dan Graziano of ESPN noted that Milroe could be sprinkled in for gadget or trick plays, which makes sense given the value his running ability can add to an offense looking for an edge. Even if he is not taking over the game plan, the possibility of Milroe popping up in a key spot gives Seattle a wrinkle worth watching as it tries to create opportunities against Arizona. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Week 2 Availability Problem Against Arizona
Tory Hortons return to full practice was one of the brighter notes in Seattles build toward its Week 2 meeting with Arizona, a welcome sign after he spent much of his recovery away from the field following a tibia fracture. After missing so much time since last season, simply getting Horton back into a full session matters for a team trying to settle into the early part of the schedule.
The injury report, though, was hardly clean. Sam Darnold was held out with a glute injury, Nick Emmanwori was limited by ankle and hip issues, and Ty Okada and Cooper Kupp were among the other players who were limited or did not participate. For a Seahawks team trying to sort out its availability picture before facing the Cardinals, the bigger question now is how many of those names will be ready when the game arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Macdonalds Defense Is Changing How Fans See These Seahawks
Mike Macdonalds defense is starting to change the way people look at these Seahawks, and Sunday offered another reminder of why. Seattles unit came up big late, turning the fourth quarter into a showcase with three interceptions and three sacks, the kind of closing stretch that can flip the mood around a team in a hurry. Macdonald credited both his coaching staff and his players for the way they adapted and carried out the defensive plan, which has become a defining feature of this group.
The bigger picture is just as striking. Seattle has now gone 29 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher, a run that speaks to how consistently this defense has controlled the ground game. And with uncertainty still hanging over the return of starting quarterback Sam Darnold, the Seahawks may need that edge on defense even more as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]