Seattle Seahawks make cut for PFF's potential dark horse teams in 2025 NFL season

The Seattle Seahawks won 10 games last year, many of which were close that could've gone either way, and seemingly got worse on offense heading into 2025. There's a new QB, new WR, and new offensive coordinator, and a lot could go wrong.

For that reason, the Seahawks are not expected to win a lot this year. The over/under line dropped to 7.5 despite double-digit wins and almost a trip to the playoffs, but PFF believes they are one of five teams poised to overperform those expectations.

PFF predicts Seahawks to hit over on win total

The Seattle Seahawks moved on from Geno Smith, trading him for the pick they used on Jalen Milroe. They also signed Sam Darnold to start. That's the biggest change and one of the reasons the expectations have been lowered. On paper, Darnold is a downgrade, but it helps the Hawks in other ways.

"Darnold impressed in Kevin O'Connell’s offense in 2024, earning a career-high 80.7 PFF overall grade while completing 66.0% of his passes for 4,564 yards and 36 touchdowns," PFF's Thomas Valentine said. "Whether that will translate to Klint Kubiak’s offense remains to be seen, but the offensive ecosystem surrounding Darnold will be better than the one given to Smith last season."

The Seahawks added offensive lineman Grey Zabel in the first round, then went after Tory Horton and Elijah Arroyo. Those will pair well with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, one of last year's big breakouts, as well as Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Jun 11, 2025; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) passes the ball during mini-camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

"The Seahawks’ win projection sits at 7.5 games in 2025, while PFF’s wins projection has them at eight wins in 2025. Much of that optimism stems from the Seahawks' defense. Mike MacDonald’s defense allowed 21.6 points per game in 2024, earning a 69.8 PFF grade, and really kicked on down the stretch," Valentine added.

The Hawks' defense was an impressive sixth in EPA per play after their Week 10 bye. Veteran edge DeMarcus Lawrence and rookie safety Nick Emmanwori should only add to the firepower and help them carry the lackluster offense.

"Even in a tough NFC West, the Seahawks have the 12th-easiest schedule in 2025. Though a playoff berth seems unlikely, they could still push for a wild-card spot and outperform their projected win total," Valentine concluded.

PFF predicts Seahawks to hit over on win total

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