Seattle Seahawks get appropriate 'realistic' grade for 2025 NFL season

Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report handed out what he deemed “realistic” grades for every team in the National Football League in 2025. The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will clash in Super Bowl LX in just over a week. Both clubs finished with 14-3 win-loss records in ’25. Not surprisingly, these were the only teams that earned an A-plus from Gagnon.

“Seattle is now up to 8-2 against teams with winning records this season,” explained Gagnon, “which really drives home how legitimate this Super Bowl favorite is. Mike Macdonald's defense has been so much greater than the sum of its parts, and the Sam Darnold/Jaxon Smith-Njigba connection has often been unstoppable.”

“It takes something special for a team to cruise to the Super Bowl despite a second-to-league-worst 28 turnovers,” added Gagnon. “Seattle’s three losses this year have come by a grand total of nine points, with two of them coming in the first five weeks of the season.”

Seahawks Rams — Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) dives for a first down against Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) during the second half in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Macdonald’s Seahawks finished with the league’s top point differential (plus-191). Only the Los Angeles Rams (518) and Patriots (490) finished ahead of Seattle (483) in terms of scoring, while the ‘Hawks allowed an NFL-low 292 points. They take a nine-game overall winning streak into Super Bowl LX, which includes impressive playoff conquests of the rival 49ers (41-6) and Rams (31-27).

A year ago, during Macdonald’s debut season as head coach, the Seahawks were a rollercoaster ride that finished 10-7 and missed the playoffs. The addition of Darnold, a monster year from Smith Njigba, and the emergence of a defense that showed signs of huge potential in the second half of 2024 added up to the team’s first NFC West title since 2020 and a franchise-record 14 regular-season wins.

Now there’s an opportunity to add a plus to that A-plus if the ‘Hawks can conquer the Patriots on Super Bowl Sunday.

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