NFL insider claims Seattle Seahawks 'not fully tested' as contenders yet

The Seattle Seahawks are fresh off their bye week and ready to begin the second half of their regular seaon schedule. So far, things have gone really well if not quite great. They hold a 5-2 record, good for a tie with the LA Rams for first place in the NFC West and the fourth seed in the NFC Playoff picture.

Seattle has just beaten two tough AFC defensive teams in a row, taking down the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road and the Houston Texans at home.

However, some folks are not convinced that the Seahawks are a contender just yet. Here's what Tom Pelissero wrote in NFL.com's preview for Sunday night's game against the Washington Commanders.

NFL.com not sold on Seahawks

"The Seahawks still haven't had their legitimacy as contenders fully tested, but the Commanders are so undermanned, I don't think we're going to get that moment of truth on Sunday night, even if Daniels is back out there."

Oct 20, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Ty Okada (39), Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) celebrate after a pass breakup during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Defensively, we have no complaints and no real concerns - at least now that the secondary is finally getting healthy for the first time since Week 1.

Offensively, the Seahawks are much better in pass protection than they were the last few seasons, but right guard remains a problematic spot. An upgrade there at the trade deadline would answer our biggest question about this roster.

Sam Darnold has been exceptional in every way, especially throwing the deep ball - which he was better at than any other start last season - and has carried over to Seattle.

There are some small concerns in the operation. First, third down has been a major issue for this unit. Heading into Week 9, they're converting just 33.3% of their attempts, which ties them for the fourth-lowest percentage in the league.

The biggest reason why that number is so low is related to the other big problem - the run game. The Seahawks are facing loaded boxes on first and second down as much as any team in the NFL, so even though they have the second-highest run percentage, they only rank 21st in rushing yards per game.

If Mike Macdonald and Klint Kubiak can find a way to get the run game going despite a stacked deck against them, it should lead to more third and medium and third-and-short opportunities, which will in turn raise that conversion rate.

Considering all the things that can go wrong for a football team, that's a relatively short list - and sets the Seahawks up for a potential deep playoff run. We probably won't learn much from the Terry McLaurin-less Washington matchup or another game against the clearly-cursed Cardinals, but the Week 11 game against the Rams will be a huge measuring stick game and have major postseason implications.

NFL.com not sold on Seahawks

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