What 5-0 Record Means for Seahawks From Historical Perspective

While three other teams could improve to 5-0 this weekend, the Seahawks became the 71st team to accomplish the feat with Sunday's 27-26 win over the Vikings. Historically, how much does winning five straight improve the team's odds of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February?

Entering their Week 6 bye with a perfect 5-0 record for the first time in franchise history, the Seahawks became just the 71st team since the NFL adopted a 16-game schedule to accomplish this feat following Sunday's 27-26 win over the Vikings.

History has proven that starting off a season with a five-game winning streak doesn't guarantee a playoff berth - just ask the 2016 Vikings or 2015 Falcons, who each limped to an 8-8 finish - but a collapse of epic proportions likely facilitated by injuries to key players would be required for Seattle to miss the postseason. That's particularly true this season with each league now having seven playoff teams under the new CBA.

Since schedules increased from 14 to 16 games in 1978, more than 90 percent of the 70 teams who opened with such a record made it to the postseason. Most interestingly, 27 of those teams advanced to the Super Bowl, or nearly 40 percent. 12 of those 27 teams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.

What do these numbers mean for the Seahawks? While winning the first five games isn't going to win a Super Bowl - coach Pete Carroll loves to say games aren't won in the first three quarters and likely subscribes to the same logic when it comes to the season - the impact of such a start towards improving odds of playing in the game cannot be overstated.

NFL Teams with a 5-0 Record Since 2010 and Final Results (per Pro Football Reference)

Over the past decade, only one team opened the season 5-0 and managed to win the Super Bowl. Back in 2015, the Broncos started 7-0 before suffering back-to-back losses, eventually finishing with a 12-4 record before rattling off three straight wins in the playoffs to send Peyton Manning into retirement with a second ring.

Still, during that span, four other teams with 5-0 records advanced to the big game. Most recently, the 49ers opened 8-0 last season and rolled through the playoffs to punch a ticket to the Super Bowl. The year before, another NFC West rival in the Rams also started with eight straight victories before eventually finishing 13-3 and advancing to the Super Bowl themselves.

The key detail for both of those teams? Earning homefield advantage by being the top seed in the NFC, something Seattle hasn't done since 2014 and has only accomplished three times total. It's no coincidence that all three of the franchises' previous Super Bowl berths happened in those seasons.

That's why a 5-0 start could be a massive deal for the Seahawks when it comes to potentially hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in February. Right now, they would be the No. 1 seed just ahead of the 4-0 Packers, and while the lack of fans in the stands eliminates one of the greatest benefits of being able to play at CenturyLink Field in January, maintaining that spot would allow them to be the only team in the conference to earn a bye under the new seven-team format.

Again, under such circumstances, Seattle has advanced to the Super Bowl all three times it clinched the top seed previously. Even without fans, that would be a game changer after the team had to hit the road in the playoffs as a wild card squad each of the past two seasons.

Considering the recent meltdowns by Minnesota and Atlanta - the Vikings lost six of seven after starting 5-0, while the Falcons lost seven out of eight following their own 5-0 start - not all teams with such a record are created equal. There certainly have been pretenders in the past who have been exposed after hot starts, with six teams falling to 8-8 after winning their first five contests.

But with Russell Wilson under center playing at an MVP level, it seems very unlikely, if not impossible, the Seahawks will join those ranks losing eight of their final 11. The team has never lost more than seven games in an entire regular season since he was drafted in 2012.

Ultimately, a suspect defense that continues to set undesirable records could be the one thing that prevents this team from making a deep playoff run. After allowing Kirk Cousins to throw for 249 yards last Sunday, the Seahawks now have given up more passing yardage than any team in NFL history through the first five games of the season.

However, interestingly, surrendering such yardage hasn't stopped high-powered offensive teams such as the Seahawks from advancing to the Super Bowl in recent years. The 2013 Broncos and 2018 Chiefs rank third and fifth respectively for the most passing yards given up through five games, but despite their struggling defenses, they started 5-0 and advanced to at least championship weekend.

As long as Wilson stays healthy and continues to sling the pigskin at an elite level, it's hard to see how Seattle won't find similar success come January. And with Jamal Adams, Jordyn Brooks, Rasheem Green, and rookie Darrell Taylor all expected to return from injuries soon, the defense should be better heading towards the second half of the schedule.

Simply put, Super Bowls aren't won in September and October, and that may be even more true in such an unprecedented season thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the seeds for a run to a Lombardi often are planted during those first two months with strong starts and the Seahawks have certainly put themselves in an excellent position to play home playoff games, which bodes well for their chances of getting to Tampa Bay in February.