When you win the Super Bowl, you typically get the luxury of entering the next season as the favorite.
Well, the Seattle Seahawks didn’t really have that luxury. Many power rankings over the offseason had the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, or even Denver Broncos ahead of the Seahawks. All three of those teams were contenders last year, and the Rams had one of the craziest offseasons ever.
Heading into Week 1, the Seahawks were inside the top three of pretty much every power ranking, but they were not a unanimous No. 1. On the field in Week 1, though, the Seahawks left no doubt that they’re still the team to beat, as they took down the New England Patriots even without Sam Darnold.
Now, let’s take a look at where the Seahawks are at in Week 2’s power rankings.
Where the Seahawks Are Ranked in NFL Power Rankings
- NFL.com: 1 (+2)
- Sports Illustrated: 1 (+1)
- ESPN: 2 (=)
- CBS Sports: 1 (=)
What National Pundits Are Saying About the Seahawks’ Power Ranking
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“What a tale of two halves for the defending champs. Prominent among my many notes on Wednesday was one line: Lumen Field is dead. That seemed to be the vibe in Seattle after one half — with Sam Darnold’s injury casting a pall over the home crowd — but title winners don’t go down without a fight. Three fourth-quarter takeaways and one signature Jaxon Smith-Njigba touchdown were enough to swing the opener in favor of the Seahawks, who officially have Patriots QB Drake Maye’s number (and a tally in the win column).” – Nick Shook (NFL.com)
“The Seahawks reclaimed the No. 1 spot after the Rams were waxed in Australia and Seattle totally disoriented Drake Maye in the season opener. Even as this team was grasping at straws to mask its lack of cornerback depth, it was a unit that was vastly different than Seattle’s Super Bowl starting lineup flummoxing the improved Patriots.” – Conor Orr (SI)
“Rookie running back Jadarian Price had a solid debut, but Thomas gets the nod for helping Seattle’s defense hold New England to 10 points. Starting for an injured Ty Okada, Thomas had a pass breakup that resulted in an interception and an open-field tackle on consecutive drives. The plays got Seattle the ball back for drives that ended with a field goal and the tying touchdown. Thomas, a former starter with the Colts, signed a one-year, $1.4 million deal with the Seahawks and began on the practice squad.” – Brady Henderson (ESPN)
“They received good news on Sam Darnold’s hip injury since he will be out for a short time. They can handle that the next two weeks with their defense and Drew Lock.” – Pete Prisco (CBS Sports)
Seahawks Have to Survive Without Sam Darnold (For Now)
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As mentioned above, Darnold went down early in Week 1. Fortunately, the worst-case scenario was avoided, but it seems like the star quarterback will still have to miss a couple of games.
Fortunately, Drew Lock looks up to the task. The backup passer wasn’t incredible in Week 1, but he didn’t make any huge mistakes, and he led the team down the field for the game-winning score. This defense is so good that the Seahawks will likely stay near the top of the rankings all season long.
