The Seahawks have officially made believers out of the NFL power-ranking community.
After crushing the Commanders in a prime-time game to improve to 6-2, and winning six of their past seven, the pundits are sold: The Seahawks are among the best teams in the NFL.
Maybe even the best?
Well, if you listen to Sports Illustrated and NFL.com, they are. They have the Seahawks ranked No. 1.
Across the power-ranking community, the Seahawks are generally considered a Top 10 team (except for one outlier).
But we’ll let them tell you:
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Sam Darnold hits Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a first down in the first half. The Seattle Seahawks played the Washington Commanders in NFL Football Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, at Northwest Stadium, in Landover, MD. 231449
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Sports Illustrated: 1 (3)
Why do I have the Seahawks No. 1? They’re torching teams who are consistently respecting the threat of Seattle’s run game — despite the fact that Seattle has the second-worst EPA per rush in the NFL after nine weeks. While some take this as a team with a short fuse about to run out, I wonder what’s going to happen when the Seahawks’ numbers inevitably average out.
NFL.com: 1 (5)
In the last edition of the Power Rankings, I dropped the Seahawks following their bye, looking to reward some teams that had done well in Week 8. Boy, that blew up in my face. Spanking the Commanders something fierce reminded me of what I first saw in Seattle when I had it cracking the top three not long ago: a really dangerous football team when the ‘Hawks are playing at their best. And their best could still be in front of them, with a lot of younger players manning big roles, especially on defense. They can also get healthier on that side of the ball, which makes Sunday night’s dominance all the more impressive. They’ve had a few of those games, too. Seattle’s defense really only has been stressed once this season — in the Week 5 loss vs. Tampa Bay — and Sam Darnold looked pretty great Sunday following some so-so play before the bye.
ESPN: 9 (11)
Most important game remaining: Week 16 vs. the Rams. For the sake of picking one game, we’ll go with the late-season, prime-time matchup against the team currently tied with Seattle atop the NFC West standings. But you could go with either of the Seahawks’ two games against Los Angeles (the first meeting will be in Week 11) or their regular-season finale at San Francisco. According to the FPI, the 49ers — despite all their injuries — have almost the same chance to win the division (36.2%) as the Rams (38.5%), so Seattle (25.3%) might very well be in a three-team race the rest of the way.
The Athletic: 6 (11)
Midseason grade: A. Halfway through the season, Sam Darnold should be the MVP front-runner. He left a quarterback-friendly scheme (and roster) in Minnesota only to completely flip Seattle’s offense. Darnold ranks first among quarterbacks in EPA per play, success rate and yards per attempt.
Yahoo.com: 5 (8)
The Seahawks are good. Sam Darnold is good. Jaxon Smith-Njigba might be the best receiver in the NFL this season. The defense is fantastic. Maybe Sunday night’s blowout of the Commanders will lead to more deserved recognition of how strong Seattle is this season.
The Sporting News: 12 (13)
The Seahawks went to the “other” Washington and forgot to tell Sam Darnold to have some time zone jet lag. Seattle is handling the surge from San Francisco and Los Angeles well to stay ahead in the NFC West and can keep it up with a rather weak second-half slate outside of playing those two teams a combined three times.
CBS Sports: 3 (4)
It’s time to believe. Mike Macdonald has done a great job with this team, and Sam Darnold continues to light it up.
USA Today: 2 (6)
Top five in points scored. Top five in points allowed. The league’s best quarterback (Sam Darnold), according to PFF, and its most productive receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, are also part of the package − one that’s looking increasingly formidable and maybe even Lombardi-caliber.
Fox Sports: 5 (9)
What a great performance by Sam Darnold over whatever’s left of the carcass of the Commanders. With the Seahawks’ soft second-half schedule, they might be poised for a big run.
Pro Football Talk: 8 (9)
Away from home, they can’t lose.
Bleacher Report: 6 (11)
The Seattle Seahawks are the best NFL team that isn’t getting mentioned as one of the best teams in the NFL.
After trouncing a floundering Commanders team Sunday night, the Seahawks have won 10 straight games on the road. Quarterback Sam Darnold had more touchdown passes (four) than incompletions (three). Everyone knows wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is going to get the ball — and no one can stop them.
Throw in a defense that entered the week as a top-10 unit in points allowed, and you have a Super Bowl contender.
Seattle won 10 games last year but underwent a substantial roster overhaul in the offseason anyway. Good wasn’t good enough. The Seahawks wanted to be great.
And with just one game in their next five against a team with a winning record (a Week 11 matchup with the Rams), Seattle is more than just a contender in the NFC West. They’re fighting for the best record in the conference.
Seattle Times sports staff.