If before the season you guessed the Seahawks (3-3) would be in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC West after Week 6, you’re either a genius or lying.
Or maybe you can see into the future.
No matter how you guessed it, the Seahawks are in a three-way tie for first in the NFC West with the Rams and 49ers. There’s still a lot of football left to be played. Who knows where the Seahawks will finish the season?
Here’s where national media see the Seahawks after Week 6.
SI.com: No. 26
I think I’m beginning to understand why Pete Carroll hung around. As we see the same brokenness in Denver that we saw in Seattle, Carroll has a chance to do what he loves best: Churn the bottom of the roster and inspire people who love football to compete against all odds. This season may end up being his masterpiece.
ESPN: No. 18
The expectation was that Geno Smith would be a massive drop-off from Russell Wilson. However, Smith has been one of the biggest surprises of the season — and far better than his predecessor has been during his rough start in Denver. Even with a quiet performance in Week 6, Smith ranks fourth in Total QBR (68.5%), first in completion percentage (73.4%) and third in touchdown-to-interception ratio (9-2). And it’s not as though he’s merely been a game manager. Smith has attempted the 14th-most passes and had to carry the Seahawks to their first two victories while their defense faltered. — Brady Henderson
The Ringer: No. 20
Geno Smith is no longer the most efficient quarterback in football after a lackluster Week 6 performance, but he and the offense still rank fourth in EPA per drive (0.46) and third in success rate (50.5). Betting markets, however, are still casting significant doubt over the Seahawks in the futures market despite the fact that they’re in a three-way tie at 3-3 with the Rams and 49ers in the NFC West. FanDuel currently prices Seattle at +1000 to win the division and +500 to make the playoffs at all. Getting the Seahawks at 10-to-1 to come away with the NFC West crown as the 49ers wade through countless injuries and the Rams dig out of a hellish hole on offense screams value.
Bleacher Report: No. 20
The Seattle Seahawks are tied for first place in the NFC West—and they got there with defense.
If you watched Seattle over the first five weeks of the season, the only thing wilder than the first statement is the second.
For most of the season, the Seahawks fielded one of the worst defenses in the league. But against the Cardinals on Sunday, that defense showed up in a big way—Seattle allowed just 315 total yards, 15 first downs, four of 16 third-down conversions and zero touchdowns (Arizona’s came on special teams).
The Athletic: No. 19
After the offense carried the Seahawks defense through the first five games of the season, Seattle shut down Kyler Murray to the tune of nine points thanks to a surprise performance from a run defense that had been exposed through the first five weeks. Cardinals other than Murray carried the ball 18 times for 44 yards. “It was about time that we took over,” said defensive tackle and Russell Wilson trade bait Shelby Harris. Meanwhile, the offense remains, somehow, one of the league’s best. It ranks fourth in offensive DVOA — third in passing and 12th in rushing — while rookie Kenneth Walker has added explosiveness.
NBC Sports: No. 20
Wouldn’t it be something if Seattle makes the playoffs and Denver doesn’t?
CBS Sports: No. 21
They are 3-3, which is a tribute to coach Pete Carroll. Who saw that coming? The defense played well against the Cardinals, which was a nice change.
NFL.com: No. 20
Geno Smith‘s surprisingly explosive offense has been the dominant storyline around the Seahawks this season, but one can imagine Pete Carroll loved the script being flipped by his defense on Sunday. Seattle’s D limited the Cardinals to only a game-opening field goal drive in the Seahawks’ 19-9 win. (Arizona’s other six points came on a special teams bust by the Seattle punt unit.) Meanwhile, cornerback Tariq Woolen is making himself a player in the Defensive Rookie of the Year competition: The fifth-round pick iced Sunday’s win with his fourth interception in as many games.