Hawks Eye View Week 10: NFC West is Best, But Are the Seahawks?
By Week 10, there's usually enough wins and losses to gauge who is the favorite to win each respective division.
But in 2020, that's not the case in the NFC West. Home to the 2019 NFC Champion, the 2018 NFC Champion, and a renewed team on the rise, the Seahawks face stiff competition in a powerhouse division.
The only other NFC divisional battle close in terms of competitiveness is between the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with both teams leading the conference with seven wins atop the NFC South. However, the Saints have one less loss and win the playoff tiebreaker with two resounding wins over the Buccaneers - but the Bucs still have a chance to overtake the lead for a higher playoff spot. While that battle rages on, the Green Bay Packers lead their division at 7-2, two wins ahead of the Bears at 5-5. The Philadelphia Eagles haven't done anything to earn a playoff spot, but they currently hold the top spot in the NFC "Least" with a 3-5-1 record.
The Seahawks were in a similar position in Week 5 as they triumphed over the Vikings with 27-26. Early in the season, the Seahawks weathered a Matt Ryan offense, overcame Cam Newton and Bill Belichick, and beat Dak Prescott before his season-ending injury. They had yet to compete within their division, but their offensive prowess indicated future victories. Breaking records left and right, the Seahawks went into late October undefeated - but the West has been wildly unpredictable since then.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) prepares to throw as Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson (94) closes in during the second half at SoFi Stadium.
In four weeks, the Seahawks lost a narrow divisional lead, enduring three critical losses - two of which were to the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams. At this point, the Seahawks have played against all NFC West teams, and they have a rematch looming against the Cardinals for a scintillating Thursday Night showdown.
If the Seahawks lose in prime time again, the Cardinals will lead the NFC West at 7-3. If the Rams beat the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football, they will tie the Cardinals as the top two teams. This would put the Seahawks at a distinct disadvantage to winning the division, forcing the team to compete conference-wide for a wild card spot.
At the moment, the Cardinals and Seahawks happen to be at a perfect win-loss tie between the two franchises: dating back to 1976, the teams are 21-21-1.
While the Cardinals are coming off an iconic Hail Mary for the win, the Seahawks endured a battering 16-23 loss by the Rams. Chef Russell Wilson hardly cooked with 22 completions for 248 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns. He had less completions than Goff on the same amount of attempts, and this is only the 17th time Wilson has been held from an end zone score in a game. Five of those games have been against the Rams. Perhaps it's unsurprising then that the one-time MVP front-runner has fallen back in the race, now ranking fifth on a Baltimore Sun list that places Murray and Allen ahead. What helped to build Murray and Allen's MVP momentum were the games when Wilson was losing his.
What all of these stats mean is that these divisional teams are three of the top seven teams in the NFC, and they are all in unique positions to dismantle each other off as they ascend the climb to the playoff peak. More discouraging still is that the Seahawks have not fared well in rematches since 2018: in a 16-game sample, they are 7-1 the first time around, but 2-6 for the second round.
If their Week 7 matchup provides any premonition, DK Metcalf can still beat Patrick Peterson in Week 10 (and he can still catch Budda Baker if need be). A thriving part of Seattle's pass attack, Metcalf's health becomes more pertinent as Tyler Lockett remains questionable with a knee injury. Fortunately, David Moore can step in as a capable deep receiver, while Freddie Swain and Greg Olsen have been open for intermediate receptions. Carlos Hyde and Benson Mayowa are set to return for prime time, bolstering a depleted running back committee and an up-and-coming pass rush. While the Seahawks secondary continues to allow an alarming number of passing yards, Seattle may be able to eke out a win against a Murray-Hopkins offense and a Baker-Peterson defense. It could just as easily go the other way.
Thursday could be a bounce-back game for the Seahawks, a turning point in the season in which they connect on offense and disrupt drives on defense. It could also mark a downturn for the team as Super Bowl hopes escape like air dispersing from a popped balloon.
Whoever wins TNF has a strong chance of leading the NFC West for the year - and this time, a 1-1 season tie for the Seahawks-Cardinals wouldn't be so bad after all.
