Sep 21, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks cheerleaders perform during the second half against the New Orleans Saints at Lumen Field. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Seattle Seahawks take another big jump in NFL power rankings after huge Week 3 win

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 10:00 AM ET

For the first time in over a decade, the Seattle Seahawks put together a totally-dominant performace in all three phases on Sunday, blowing out the visiting New Orleans Saints, 44-13. Their win was more than just a get-right game for a team that had been struggling at home - it was an announcement that they are officially ready to contend again in the NFC.

The Seahawks didn't just beat the Saints, they overpowered them from start to finish in nearly every conceivable part of the game. Sam Darnold had one of the best games of his career, Jaxon Smith-Njigba nearly reached 100 yards despite playing with the flu, their defense was swarming and their special teams unit was at an all-time high.

As expected, Seattle has taken a big jump in the latest NFL power rankings from Matt Johnson at Sportsnaut. He has them up another five spots, landing them at No. 14 in the league.

Seahawks rise 5 spots in power rankings

"This team impressed in every facet, including on special teams. Seattle should feel especially confident because, from a clean pocket, Sam Darnold looked like he did during his best weeks in Minnesota. After moving to 2-1 on the year, the Seahawks have an opportunity on Thursday Night Football to get their first divisional win of the season by beating Arizona on the road."

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the crushing win is they did it despite not being close to 100% healthy.

The Seahawks were missing their preferred lead running back (Zach Charbonnet), three starters in their secondary (Devon Witherspoon, Julian Love, Nick Emmanwori) and their top nose tackle (Johnathan Hankins), who remains on the NFI list.

The most encouraging thing is that there's still plenty of room to grow for this team , as head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters after the game. Their run game has been relatively ineffective in two out of three games, their WR2 Cooper Kupp still hasn't developed a consistent chemistry with Sam Darnold and their already-elite defense hasn't even been close to full strength yet.

Despite the jump, the Seahawks are still being underrated - as 14th is too low. A win over the Cardinals this week should go a long way towards finally convincing the skeptics that this is a real contender.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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