Should we still be surprised by this Seahawks team’s performance?
At what point can we say, “Yes, this is in fact the 2022 Seahawks and not an aberration”?
We may have reached it. The Seahawks are 4-3 after a dominant 37-23 win over the Chargers in Los Angeles. And the Chargers are not a bad team.
Now, the Seahawks, who have sole possession of first place in the NFC West, head into Week 8 and host the 6-1 Giants Sunday at Lumen Field.
Here’s where national media rank the Seahawks.
SI.com: No. 16
Pete Carroll is always smiling, but now the smile seems less forced, like the kind you give your child when they spill a brand-new iced coffee on the carpet. Now, it’s like a “I am really enjoying this iced coffee that hasn’t been spilled on the carpet” smile. There’s a big difference.
ESPN: No. 13
The Seahawks’ run game has been among the best in the NFL and their defense has gone from awful to excellent, but Geno Smith has been their MVP. He has the fourth-best Total QBR at 66.8, which is indicative of how he’s been so much more than merely the game manager who many expected him to be. That’s more than 23 points higher than Smith’s Total QBR over his first nine seasons, and it’s more than 31 points higher than the guy he replaced in Seattle. Russell Wilson ranks 28th at 35.2. — Brady Henderson
The Ringer: No. 15
Geno Smith is at the helm of the most electric offense in football right now. No team has a higher explosive play rate than the Seahawks (14.5 percent) entering Week 8. Smith is the league leader in EPA per attempt on throws of 15-plus air yards (1.09), and the rushing attack is tied for second in total runs of 15-plus yards (17). Seattle can beat anybody — even with one of the league’s worst defenses — if Smith and Co. continue to light up the scoreboard with reckless abandon.
Bleacher Report: No. 12
Russell who?
This was supposed to be a rebuilding season in Seattle, the first season in the transition away from Russell Wilson. Seattle certainly wasn’t supposed to be all alone in first place atop the NFC West seven weeks in.
That’s right where they are though. In his first season as Seattle’s starter, Geno Smith is among the league leaders in passer rating and completion percentage. And after dropping almost 40 points on a good Chargers team, Moton said it’s high time we started taking these Seahawks seriously.
The Athletic: No. 14
What Geno Smith is doing is wild. He ranks sixth in EPA per dropback for the NFC West-leading Seahawks and is directing an offense that ranks third in DVOA and fourth in passing DVOA. All of this while serving as the full-time starter for the first time in eight seasons! He leads the league with a 73.5 completion percentage, which has him on track for the highest completion percentage in a single season for a quarterback not named Drew Brees.
NBC Sports: No. 11
Maybe, just maybe, Pete Carroll knows what he’s doing.
CBS Sports: No. 12
They lead the NFC West at 4-3. Pete Carroll has done an amazing job with this team as they ready to face the 6-1 Giants.
NFL.com: No. 15
It was Next Man Up after running back Rashaad Penny went down for the year with a broken leg, and Kenneth Walker III is that Man. The rookie ran all over the Chargers in a 37-23 win, piling up 168 yards on the ground, including the game-clinching 74-yard jaunt in the fourth quarter. It was another banner day for the most surprising offense in the NFL: Geno Smith threw two more touchdown passes as Seattle rolled up 404 total yards. The Seahawks reach Week 8 all alone atop the NFC West. Tell me you predicted it, and I’ll tell you you’re a liar.