ESPN notes important context for Seahawks' blowout of Saints

The Seattle Seahawks are likely riding high after a monster performance on Monday. They dominated in every single facet of the game, trouncing the New Orleans Saints by 31 points. For context, going into Week 3, the Saints had scored 34 total points.

The Seahawks put in the best outing of the Mike Macdonald era and one of the best games in a very long time. The game was essentially over in the second quarter. But how high should they be riding? One analyst believes this win was nice, but it came against a really bad team. This was a big margin of victory, but it wasn't all that surprising.

The Seahawks win was nice, but the Saints are not good

Sam Darnold, Seahawk — Sep 21, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and New Orleans Saints defensive end Jonathan Bullard (98) shake hands after the game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

ESPN's Brady Henderson liked what he saw from the Seahawks on Sunday, but he isn't ready to crown anyone for the performance since it came against what is probably going to be the NFL's worst team this year.

"One of the Seahawks' most dominant performances in recent memory came against a team that arrived in Seattle with an 0-2 record, a rookie head coach, a second-year quarterback and a banged-up offensive line," Henderson wrote.

But on the other hand, each of the first two Saints losses came down to one last possession against the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, so maybe they're better than they looked against the Seahawks.

"Either way, it was an all-three-phases whupping by Seattle, and it was so thorough that the team was able to pull most of its starters early in the fourth quarter. That will help with an NFC West game at Arizona in four days," Henderson concluded.

As for the offense, Sam Darnold was good again on Sunday. "Among the reasons the Seahawks saw Sam Darnold as a good fit in Klint Kubiak's offense is the quarterback's ability to throw on the run during designed rollouts," Henderson wrote, and that was on full display Sunday.

Darnold was at the center of this dominant effort, and if the offensive line can keep him protected like they did in Week 3, then they might start dismantling teams that aren't the Saints.

The Seahawks win was nice, but the Saints are not good

More Seahawks on SI stories