Six games through the 2025 season, and one thing is for sure: The NFC West is a loaded division. The Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams are all tied at 4-2.
Mike Macdonald’s team bounced back from a tough loss late at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a dominating road win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. First-year head coach Liam Coen had the Jaguars 4-1 going into the game after wins over the 49ers on the road and over the Kansas City Chiefs.
After an impressive road win, Seattle has quickly moved up most of the NFL power rankings ahead of Monday night’s home game against the Houston Texans.
Seattle Rising Up Power Rankings
After the win over the Jaguars, the Seahawks are moving up the NFL power rankings through the first six games. Here is a rundown of where they stand as of mid-October.
ESPN.com: No. 8 (up from No. 11)
What was the lesson learned? Don’t count out a first-round pick after one underwhelming season, according to Brady Henderson.
“Defensive tackle Byron Murphy II is showing why. The No. 16 selection in 2024 was plenty disruptive as a rookie but not productive, finishing with half a sack and two tackles for loss in 14 games. But he’s making a massive second-year jump. Along with seven pressures, Murphy had two sacks Sunday to give him a team-high 4.5 through six games. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence also said Murphy is “hands down” the team’s best run defender.”
The Athletic: No. 9 (up from No. 12)
What has been part of Seattle’s success this year? Sam Darnold and his 0.27 EPA per dropback is the best of his career and ranks fourth in the league. This is turning into one of the underrated moves around the league.
Pro Football Talk: No. 9 (up from No. 13)
What should the Seahawks do to have more success at Lumen Field, according to Mike Florio? “They should wear their white jerseys at home,” he wrote.
The Ringer: No. 7 (even from last week)
Seattle remained in the same spot as last week. It should be noted that Diante Lee still has the Seahawks above the Buccaneers despite their loss at home two weeks ago.
“If there were any questions about how much credit Seahawks GM John Schneider has deserved for the construction of Seattle’s roster, this is the season to put those concerns to bed. Quarterback Sam Darnold is thoroughly outplaying his predecessor, Geno Smith, whom Schneider chose to trade to Las Vegas. The passing game hasn’t missed departed receiver DK Metcalf at all… Schneider is executing one of the best pivots we’ve seen in recent years, and Seattle still has another level it can reach once it’s healthy again on defense,” Lee wrote.
CBS Sports: No. 7 (up from No. 14)
Seattle was Pete Prisco’s biggest mover this week, up seven spots after beating Jacksonville on the road.
“The defensive front was dominant in the victory over the Jaguars with seven sacks. Mike Macdonald has himself a nasty unit on defense, and Sam Darnold loves the deep ball,” Prisco wrote.
Can the Seahawks Continue Early-Season Success?
The long-term answer is yes, but some challenges are coming up in the short term. It begins on Monday night at home against Houston for Seattle. They have struggled this year after winning the AFC South, but they are coming off a bye and a 34-point win over the Baltimore Ravens on October 5.
According to Tankathon, Seattle has the 10th most difficult schedule remaining with a .540 strength of schedule left. It’s tied with the Philadelphia Eagles. Their toughest remaining games are two with the Rams and one each with the 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, and the surging Indianapolis Colts, who are currently the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Atlanta knocked off the Buffalo Bills on Monday night football and will travel for a Sunday night game against San Francisco.
Seattle is favored in six of their last 11 games, including Monday night’s game against Houston. The Seahawks get a perfectly timed bye after the Texans before a trip to play the Washington Commanders. There is still a lot to be determined, but the success of the road results against good teams is being noticed around the league.
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