Sure, Seahawks fans could want two more wins, given the razor-thin margin of the two losses so far.
But when considering the 50-year history of the Seahawks, this is about as good as it gets.
Only one time have the Seahawks had a better record after nine games than does the current squad at 7-2 — the 2013 team, which began 11-1 on the way to the only Super Bowl title in team history.
Four other teams in Seahawks history were 7-2 after nine games — 1984, 1999, 2005 and 2019.
You may recall all four of those teams made the playoffs, three won at least one playoff game (all but 1999) and the 2005 team was the first to represent the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
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So, this start is heady company to keep and, if history is a judge, foreshadows potential fun moments down the road.
In the still-relatively-new world of the 17-game NFL schedule, nine games serves as the halfway point of the season.
Which makes it a good time to hand out some midseason grades.
Quarterback
Sure, some of the turnovers of late have been angst-inducing, even in the midst of blowout wins, and it’s right to be concerned those could catch up to the Seahawks if they continue (as it did in the two losses).
In the big picture, what was essentially a trade of Geno Smith for Sam Darnold and a third-round pick has been far more of a success than anyone could have realistically imagined.
Pro Football Focus this week determined that Darnold has been worth 1.86 wins above replacement, behind only Matthew Stafford (1.98) and Dak Prescott (1.93). PFF wrote: “Through 10 weeks, Darnold is first among quarterbacks in overall PFF grade (93.1) and big-time throw rate (9.0%) while placing second in passing grade (92.3) and passer rating (116.5).”
Grade: A-minus.
Running back
The struggles of the Seahawks’ running game — the Arizona game last Sunday a hopeful exception — may obscure the season Kenneth Walker III is having. Walker is averaging 4.5 yards per carry, just off the 4.6 of his rookie season as the best in his career and tied for 15th among running backs. He’s on pace for 1,018 yards and has the fourth-best grade of any running back from PFF this week.
Zach Charbonnet is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry but is at 4.0 over the last five games (55 carries for 217 yards), and if his TD last week is any indication, George Holani can also be counted on when needed. The running game needs to be better, but the running backs don’t appear to be the issue.
Grade: B.
Receiver
Whatever the highest grade possible is, that’s what Jaxon Smith-Njigba gets for a first half of the season in which he’s already surpassed 1,000 yards with 1,041, averaging 16.5 per reception.
In part because of Smith-Njigba’s emergence and the running emphasis — the Seahawks are the only team in the NFL running it more than they throw it, passing the ball just 47.08% of plays — Cooper Kupp is seeing his numbers drop. He’s averaging 45.9 yards per game compared to a career average of 72.7. He’s a more-than-capable second option and continues to be a good run blocker, one reason PFF has him rated as the 21st overall receiver.
Rookie Tory Horton has proved capable of big plays with five touchdowns on 13 receptions, while newly acquired Rashid Shaheed will make the whole corps that much better the rest of the way.
Grade: A-minus.
Tight end
AJ Barner is proving he can be a TE1 with 21 catches for 236 yards and four TDs and Elijah Arroyo also has turned in some big plays (14-174, 1). Barner is creating a fun niche for himself as the ball carrier on short-yardage Tush Push plays — he has 10 yards on six attempts, getting a first down on each one. The blocking on the edge remains a work in progress.
Grade: B.
Offensive line
Despite the Seahawks’ impressive offensive stats — 30.6 points per game, third in the NFL, and 6.3 yards per play, which is second — PFF has the Seahawks as a middle-of-the-road line. The Seahawks are 15th in run blocking and 18th in pass blocking.
Left tackle Charles Cross has the sixth-best pass blocking grade, allowing only one sack so far, and right tackle Abe Lucas is 26th in pass blocking, allowing three.
The interior of the line has had a few growing pains, breaking in a rookie at left guard in Grey Zabel and a first-year starter at center in Jalen Sundell, along with Anthony Bradford at right guard. Sundell is out indefinitely with a knee injury and will be replaced by Olu Oluwatimi, the first change up front this season. A game against the Rams on the road will be the best test yet for where this group really is.
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Grade: B-minus.
Defensive line
The Seahawks continue to be among the best teams in the NFL in stopping the run, allowing 3.8 yards per carry, third fewest. The Seahawks rank fourth in ESPN’s run-stop win rate ratings.
The two standouts on the interior of the line have been Byron Murphy II, who has taken the second-year leap in production everyone hoped. He ranks 15th in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate and has five sacks. Veteran Leonard Williams, who is on pace for the same numbers as his Pro Bowl season a year ago, has five sacks and ranks sixth in ESPN’s run-stop win rate.
The loss of Jarran Reed to a wrist/thumb injury indefinitely is an obvious blow.
Grade: A-minus.
Rush end/outside linebacker
The Seahawks’ 3.6 sacks per game is tied for second in the NFL. Obviously those are coming from everywhere — 15 players have at least half of a sack.
That number should be remembered when assessing the edge-rush group. Not all are putting up big numbers, but in general the Seahawks are getting the necessary pressure, especially during this four-game winning streak.
Uchenna Nwosu missed the first game of the season and needed a few more to shake off the rust. He’s done just that of late and leads the Seahawks with 5.5 sacks
DeMarcus Lawrence not only had the two scoop-and-score TDs against Arizona but has been good against the run and has four sacks. Boye Mafe has just one sack but ranks 13th in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate calculations — best of any Seahawk edge player — at 18%. While Derick Hall missed two games with an oblique injury and has yet to get a sack, he has 11 of his 23 pressures for the season in the last two games.
Grade: B-plus.
Inside linebacker
This position has been as interesting as any, with Drake Thomas overtaking Tyrice Knight for the weakside linebacker spot, only for Knight to come back Sunday against Arizona and turn in one of the best games by a Seahawks defender in recent memory when he had to step into the middle in place of the injured Ernest Jones IV.
Jones has the ninth-best run defense grade from PFF of 86 linebackers and three interceptions, while Thomas has been a revelation showing he can defend the run and pass rush as well as cover, the skill that initially got him on the field. And kudos to Knight for overcoming health issues during training camp and being benched only to respond with the best game of his career once he was again called on.
Grade: A-minus.
Cornerback
This position has been a roller coaster with Devon Witherspoon hurt in the first game and missing five of the next six and Riq Woolen losing his job to Josh Jobe and viewed as to likely soon be traded, only to continue to be needed because of the injury to Witherspoon and to Jobe.
The manner in which Woolen handled all that appears to have helped convince the team to keep him, and he’s played maybe the best he has since his rookie season the last two games. Now that Witherspoon is back and Jobe is expected to be back, the Seahawks could boast one of the deeper cornerback groups in the NFL, especially now that second-year man Nehemiah Pritchett has shown he can help, and with Shaquill Griffin on the practice squad ready when needed.
Woolen ranked second this week in PFF’s “lockdown percentage metric,” which attempts to judge how well a cornerback “prevents a receiver from getting open.” Jobe is fifth and Witherspoon 23rd.
Grade: B-plus.
Safety
Here’s another spot where, because of injuries, the Seahawks could have as much depth at this spot as any team in the NFL.
Rookie Nick Emmanwori missed three games with a high ankle sprain, while Julian Love remains out with a hamstring but is eligible to return following the Tennessee game on Nov. 23.
Ty Okada has stepped in for Love and has been a revelation — he ranks 13th among all safeties by PFF this week. Emmanwori has played the last five games and is used in nickel and dime packages on almost every down and showing why the Seahawks moved up to take him with the 35th overall pick in the NFL draft.
Coby Bryant, the one constant, had one bad game against Tampa Bay but otherwise has been solid.
When Love returns, the Seahawks may have to decide if Okada goes back to the bench or if they find a way to get him on the field.
Good problems to have.
Grade: A-minus.
Special teams
PFF has the Seahawks rated No. 1 in special teams this week
Michael Dickson is PFF’s No. 2 rated punter, due in part to a 49.3 average per kick and 42.5 net, as well as a 4.58-second hang time average that is the best of his career.
Jason Myers is 17 of 21 on field goals, including a 52-yarder on the final play for the win at Arizona, and a perfect 32 of 32 on point-after attempts. He has been just about flawless with his kickoffs, more important than ever with the new rules. NFL teams have been called for 19 penalties for kickoffs out of bounds and 23 for kicks that fell short of the landing zone. Myers hasn’t been called for either.
There has been some game-turning plays, such as George Holani’s heady recovery of a kickoff in the end zone at Pittsburgh and Tory Horton’s 95-yard punt return for a TD against the Saints.
Now the Seahawks add Shaheed, one of the better returners in the NFL, to the mix.
Grade: A.
Coaching
The Seahawks are 13-4 in Macdonald’s last 17 games with only one decisive loss in that time — a 30-13 loss to the Packers last December in the game where Geno Smith got hurt. It’s no longer citing a small sample size to conclude John Schneider made the right decision in his first attempt at hiring a head coach. Macdonald got it right, too, bringing in Klint Kubiak as the offensive coordinator to replace Ryan Grubb. There are always play calls and fourth-down decisions and things of that nature to question. But in the big picture it’s hard to ask for much more from Macdonald a year-and-a-half into his tenure.
Grade: A.
Bob Condotta: bcondotta@seattletimes.com. Bob Condotta is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times who primarily covers the Seahawks but also dabbles in other sports. He has worked at The Times since 2002, reporting on University of Washington Husky football and basketball for his first 10 years at the paper before switching to the Seahawks in 2013.