Stephen A. Smith just crowned the Seattle Seahawks his No. 1 team — and it’s sparking a fresh round of NFL standings debate in Week 11.
On November 11’s First Take, Smith unveiled a Top-5 that ended with, “And No. 1, it’s the Seattle Seahawks,” slotting Seattle ahead of the Rams, Colts, Patriots and Lions. The segment was posted to social, and quickly made the rounds.
Where Seattle Actually Sits in the NFL Standings
Smith’s list hits as Seattle carries a 7-2 mark and is tied for first place in the NFC West. The Seahawks have a content with huge ramifications against the Rams coming up next.
Conference-wide, the Eagles’ Monday night win nudged Philadelphia back to the No. 1 seed on a tiebreaker, placing Seattle second in the NFC for now. That jockeying is fluid, with the Seahawks and Rams locked in a tight divisional race and a head-to-head looming this week.
Nationally, the perception is catching up to the record. NFL.com’s Week 11 Power Rankings moved Seattle into the No. 1 spot as of Tuesday, underscoring how quickly the Seahawks have climbed since Halloween.
Why Stephen A. — & Others — Are Buying Seattle
Start with Sam Darnold’s heater. In a 38-14 road rout of Washington on Nov. 2, Darnold completed 21 of 24 for 330 yards and four touchdowns, including a perfect first half (16-for-16, 282 yards, 4 TDs). That performance kicked his MVP chatter into overdrive. He followed that up with a ball-control, dominant performance over Arizona, where he went 10-for-12 for 178 yards, one touchdown and an interception in a game that was essentially over in the first quarter.
Darnold’s surge has shown up in the awards and markets, too. He just won FedEx Air Player of the Week, and several outlets noted a notable MVP odds bump heading into Week 11.
Seattle also juiced its WR room at the deadline, trading for Rashid Shaheed from the Saints — a move that reunites him with OC Klint Kubiak and pairs his speed with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who’s been pacing the league in receiving yards.
Seattle’s offensive rise is why Smith says the Seahawks “have to be watched out for.” He also noted he didn’t like how the Eagles’ offense looked recently — one reason he bumped Seattle to the top of his personal list this week.
How the Call Matches the Numbers
Explosive balance: With Darnold pushing the ball efficiently and JSN commanding volume, Seattle has found chunk plays without hemorrhaging possessions.
Statement wins: The Washington beatdown featured four different TD scorers catching passes from Darnold — a snapshot of how many answers this offense has when it’s humming. Two weeks later, the Seahawks blew out the Cardinals with a power rushing attack that nearly racked up 200 yards (ok, well, it did rack up 200 yards, but a few kneel downs dropped that total. Cooper Kupp wasn’t pleased.)
Market validation: Beyond Stephen A., multiple national rankers now have Seattle on the top line or within the top tier entering Week 11. Fox Sports has the Seahawks at No. 3.
What It Means Next
The standings reality is simple: Smith’s No. 1 tag mirrors how many power rankers see Seattle — but the NFC’s top seed will likely swing on tiebreakers and divisional results over the next two weeks. A showdown with the Rams carries massive implications for the West title and the conference bracket. Keep one eye on Darnold’s MVP case and another on how Shaheed changes defensive spacing for JSN and the rest of the WR room.
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