Seattle Seahawks Drop Several Spots in Week 4 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Week 3 was a wake-up call for the Seattle Seahawks as they were beaten 33-31 by the Washington Commanders. Seattle had all the momentum with Sam Darnold returning from an injury that had sidelined him since the first drive of the season-opener.

Giving them an even bigger advantage was the absence of Jayden Daniels, who suffered a dislocated elbow in Week 2. That didn't matter as Marcus Mariota led the Commanders to the win, dropping Seattle to 2-1 on the year.

Not only did it drop them in the standings, but the loss had an impact on the Seahawks in NFL power rankings. Here's a roundup of those rankings entering Week 4.

Sports Illustrated: No. 3

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams at half time against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seattle fell from the No. 1 spot, with Conor Orr saying their loss to the Commanders without Daniels felt more like a dream than reality.

"What if I told you the Seahawks got four passing touchdowns from Sam Darnold and were playing against the Jayden Daniels-less Commanders and somehow lost the game? You would say that each year there are four to five games that we’ll probably never think of again because they are so inexplicable and strange in hindsight and are closer to a dream than reality. This would be one of those games," Orr wrote.

The Athletic: No. 5

Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold reacts with WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the second half at Northwest Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Josh Kendall and Chad Graff not only ranked every team, but also discussed the confidence each franchise should have in their starting quarterback. For the Seahawks, they believe the faith should remain, even though Drew Lock played well. Afterall, it's impossible to pin this loss on Darnold following his performance. Still, they dropped Seattle two spots from No. 3 to No. 5.

"Sam Darnold returned to the lineup after missing two games with a hip injury, and the Seahawks promptly lost for the first time since Week 11 last year. It wasn’t Darnold’s fault. He threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns while Seattle rushed for only 44 yards (2.4 yards per carry). But you know there are still some Seahawks fans thinking about how well Drew Lock played last week in a win. (Those people are forgetting Lock was 1-4 as a starter down the stretch in 2024.)"

ESPN: No. 4

Washington Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles deflects a pass intended for Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN dropped Seattle as well, with them falling from No. 2 to No. 4. Their theme this week is surprise fantasy players, which for the Seahawks, is Jadarian Price. The problem is that he hasn't been a pleasant surprise, according to Brady Henderson.

"Price was 25th among running backs in ADP, reflecting the fact that he was going to be part of a timeshare in Seattle's backfield. But even with those modest expectations, the rookie first-round pick is off to an underwhelming start. He ranks 47th in fantasy points among running backs after a dud of a performance in Week 3, when he totaled 22 scrimmage yards on six touches with a lost fumble. The fumble was Price's second in as many weeks, which was a big reason for his diminished workload," Henderson wrote.

CBS Sports: No. 5

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold in the first half against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Not a steep drop, but Pete Prisco has the Seahawks moving from No. 4 to No. 5. Even with the pick-six, which Prisco admits was bad, he still said Darnold did some good things.

"Losing to a backup quarterback in Marcus Mariota is not a good look. Sam Darnold did some good things in his return, but the pick-six he threw was not good. They will be back," Prisco wrote.

Pro Football Talk: No. 6

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald in the first quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mike Florio had the steepest drop, taking Seattle from No. 1 all the way to No. 6.

"We’ll find out soon whether the loss at Washington was an aberration or a harbinger," Florio wrote.

Right now, fans don't need to worry. Seattle fell victim to a trap game and there's no reason to panic. They still can accomplish anything they need to this season, despite the drop in this week's rankings.

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