Seahawks have ruled the NFC West since entering it

It’s been 24 years since the NFL decided to place the Seahawks in the NFC, effectively dissolving the rivalries they had established in the AFC against teams like the Broncos and Raiders. At the time, it felt a little disrespectful, as if our established rivalries meant less than anyone else’s. But we can safely say it’s worked out very well.

Since the team was moved over, no NFC West team has had more success than Seattle. If one ascribes to the theory that ‘if you’re not first, then you’re last’, the Seahawks come out on top here, with ten division titles in that 24 year span. More than the 49ers and Cardinals combined. Their four-year streak of titles from 2004-2007 is double the length of any other streak.

But if you wish to dig further than that, Seattle continues to come out on top. The Seahawks have finished second in the division eight times, and six of those second place finishes have resulted in a wild card appearance. The Rams were able to match that number of runner-up finishes, but only half of them warranted a playoff appearance.

Possibly even more impressive than their ability to get at or near the top, however, has been their unrivaled capacity to avoid the bottom. In a 24 year span that has seen multiple iterations and permutations of the roster and coaching staff, the Seahawks have finished in fourth place just one time. The 2021 Seahawks, who were still a not-terrible 7-10, brought up the rear.

For the sake of comparison, the 49ers and Rams both have a streak of three straight last place finishes over that same time period, and the Cardinals have finished in last ten times. Their best is better than everyone else’s best, and their worst is better than everyone else’s worst. However you want to look at it, Seattle reigns supreme in the west.

And then, you have the matter of what happens once those playoff spots are earned. The Seahawks have 14 playoff wins since 2002, tied with the 49ers for most in the division, although Seattle wins on the total number of playoff games played (28 against 22). The Rams are sitting on 9 and the Cardinals on 5.

Seattle has also made three Super Bowls, winning one, besting the Rams (one win on two attempts), 49ers (three trips with no wins), and Cardinals (one loss). Even swinging into the postseason success finds Seattle doing better than anyone else.

On a player level, Seattle also has the only MVP from the division over the last 24 years with Shaun Alexander in 2005 (although that may change in a few weeks). They’re the only team to have a 14 win regular season in that timeframe. They’ve had the fewest different head coaches during their shared time in the division. Keep on drilling down, Seattle keeps on coming up.

It’s been an impressive run of multiple decades for the Seahawks, one they hope to add to with a strong postseason run this year. Their ability to stay good without bottoming out is the envy of the other three franchises, and based on where Coach Macdonald has taken them in just his second year, it’s a run that shouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.