Seahawks get disrespected in analyst’s NFL playoff power rankings

“If this list could be set up with a 1A and 1B at the top,” explained Chadiha, “then that would be more representative of how people should feel about the Seahawks today. As good as the Rams can be when playing their best, Seattle is proving how good it actually is in real time. That Week 16 win over Los Angeles was the kind of victory that can propel a talented team to great heights.”

“Saturday’s season-ending win over San Francisco,” added Chadiha, “set up the Seahawks with the best possible road to their championship dreams, as Seattle enters the postseason as the top seed in the NFC. Prior to this season, the Seahawks had earned that benefit three times in their franchise history. They reached the Super Bowl in every one of those years, which is why they should be so highly regarded right now.

"The defense that head coach Mike Macdonald leans upon is as rugged as any bunch in the NFL. If you caught that game against the 49ers, then you saw how physical that group is and how fast they fly to the football. You give that defense two games in the rowdy, raucous environment that is Seattle’s Lumen Field and every opponent is going to have problems.”

Macdonald’s club finished sixth in the league in fewest yards allowed, third vs. the run, and gave up an NFL-low 292 points. Meanwhile, there’s also the matter of Seattle’s Pro Bowl signal-caller.

“What’s even more encouraging about the Seahawks is the way quarterback Sam Darnold has played lately. He’s a long way from being the quarterback who wilted in Minnesota at the end of last year’s regular season, when the Vikings lost badly to Detroit with the NFC North on the line and then fell to the Rams in another blowout defeat in the Wild Card Round. Darnold made several huge plays in that comeback against Los Angeles three weeks ago. He was just as reliable as the Seahawks put away the 49ers on Saturday night.”

Chadiha summed things up regarding Darnold and putting the Seahawks at the No. 2 spot. “If he continues that streak—and Seattle finds more consistency in its run game—then this writer will look foolish for not fully committing to them. When the Seahawks are at their best, it really is hard to imagine anyone beating them.