Are Seahawks NFC West's Best Team?

Playing their best football at the perfect time, the Seattle Seahawks are streaking into December.

Connor Benintendi | 17 Hours Ago

Nov 24, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) tackles Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) during the first half at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

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Seattle Seahawks

For the first time in at least the last five seasons, the Seattle Seahawks are the NFC West’s best team. But it’s not only because they are the current leader in the division.

Although the Seahawks are firmly in the playoff race and on a three-game win streak, being the best team in the division means less than it has in recent seasons. The division has no bonafide championship contenders, but it is also absent of bottom feeders.

The San Francisco 49ers’ Super Bowl window appears to be slamming shut after three-straight losses to quality teams, while the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals remain close on Seattle’s tail both in their record and talent on the roster.

Especially with their upcoming Week 14 matchup against Seattle, the Cardinals remain the Seahawks’ biggest threat in 2024.

“We talk about December football, and this is when you want to be playing your best ball,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said after Seattle’s 26-21 win over the New York Jets. I wouldn’t say this is our best game, but we won, and that’s all that matters. So it’s about stacking those wins, and you got to play a certain brand of ball to win in December and this is all you can ask for, is a chance to take it home down the stretch. So, we’re right in it and off to Arizona we go.”

Seattle is the only team in the NFC West streaking into December. It’d be easy to look at their inconsistencies prior to the bye and question the legitimacy of the Seahawks’ postseason candidacy, but their defense at the very least has turned a page and is now fueling the current three-game win streak instead of costing them games.

In addition to standout performances all over the defense, Leonard Williams may emerge as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in the coming weeks.

The offense still has inconsistencies and lacks an identity, but all of the current issues are fixable. There’s still time for those wrinkles to smooth out.

The Niners’ loss to the Seahawks in Week 11 began their current three-game skid that has devolved into San Francisco (5-7) losing their last two games by a combined score of 73-20. They also have most likely lost top running backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason to season-ending injuries in their blowout Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Los Angeles (6-6), despite beating Seattle in Week 9 before the Seahawks’ bye, is 2-2 over its last four games. The Rams are still a threat with a talented roster, but they don’t appear to have the same juice they had last season and in the campaigns leading to their Super Bowl title at the end of the 2021 season. Their stars are aging, and the results have been mixed with an absent run game.

Nov 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) carries the ball against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Arizona (6-6) has lost two in a row, with one coming against Seattle, but the Cardinals are still rising. They nearly bounced back to beat the two-loss Minnesota Vikings on Sunday but fell 23-22. Their defense is emerging as one of the better units in the league down the stretch as well.

The Seahawks’ ability to score 19 unanswered points on Sunday amid special teams gaffes that nearly dropped them into a three-score deficit is a testament to the ways this Seattle team can win. Since the bye, they’re never out of a game with how the defense is playing — limiting each of their last three opponents to under 300 total yards and an average of 14.7 points.

If Seattle beats the Cardinals this week, they’ll have a two-game lead over Arizona and keep at least a one-game advantage over the Rams, depending on their result versus the Bills. However, with how Buffalo is playing, that will be a difficult game for Los Angeles to emerge with a win.

"As long as we continue to play together, we're a feisty bunch," Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith said Sunday. "We've got a chance to win all of our games."

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray was equally mistake-prone versus the Vikings as he was against Seattle, and anything short of a spotless performance could fuel the Seahawks to another win. Seattle’s offense, which has been underachieving since the bye, must get back to putting points on the board. If they do, the Seahawks could do legitimate damage in January.

The Seahawks last won a division title in 2020 but lost to the Rams in the Wild Card round that same season. Seattle arguably hasn’t been the best team in the NFC West since 2016, when they won the division by three games. They have a chance to retake the top spot this season.