Seattle Seahawks 'team to beat' in NFL power rankings going into the Super Bowl

One ring to rule them all. That's what this business comes down to - and the Seattle Seahawks are now just one win away from securing the second Super Bowl ring in franchise history.

Sunday night's NFC Championship Game victory over the Los Angeles Rams was a worthy finale to a three-game series between two of the toughest division rivals that the game has ever seen. Now, Seattle moves on to face Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Naturally, these Seahawks are considered the team to beat going into the biggest game of the year. Here's Matt Johnson at Sportsnaut on continuing to put Seattle No. 1 in his weekly power rankings.

Seahawks on top going into Super Bowl

"The Seattle Seahawks are the team to beat in the Super Bowl. It starts with the league’s best defense, a unit that’ll be able to generate pressure on Drake Maye, neutralize the Patriots’ run game and do a great job covering New England’s wideouts. Seattle also boasts a top-10 rushing attack since the second half of the season and now Sam Darnold is coming off a career-best performance in the biggest game of his career. Many believe the NFC Championship Game decided who would hoist the Lombardi Trophy, we agree."

JSN — Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) is interviewed after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Looking past the Patriots would probably be a mistake, but it is accurate that the NFC title game was likely the true NFL championship this year. The path that took the Seahawks to Santa Clara was far more difficult than the one New England saw in 2025, including a league-best easy schedule.

The Patriots do have a tough defense and they are well-coached. However, the deciding factor is likely to be how Drake Maye does against the league's top scoring unit.

Recent history says it's not going to go well for him. Going back to his last year as the Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator, no quarterback under 24 years old has beaten Mike Macdonald and his mean defenses over the last three seasons.

Quarterbacks under age 24 vs Mike Macdonald defenses, since 2023:

0-6
1 pass TD
8 interceptions
22 sacks

Drake Maye (23 years old) will look to become the youngest QB to ever win a Super Bowl
— Dante Koplowitz-Fleming (@DanteKopFlem) January 26, 2026

Ouch.

The Seahawks are also lethal on special teams - where they have been ranked No. 1 in the league according to ESPN's metrics since Week 10.

If that weren't enough, Seattle is also rounding into shape offensively at just the right time. A dominant run game got them to the NFC Championship, but it took a near-flawless performance from Sam Darnold to get past the Rams.

Darnold's turnover issues were always overblown - but if he's going to play anything like the did last night then these Seahawks are simply invulnerable.

So, the big question going into the Super Bowl is not going to be if Seattle can avenge the most-mortifying loss in franchise history by beating the Patriots. The question is how many more times we are going to see the Seahawks in the Super Bowl in the coming years.

This coming offseason will play a big role in determining just how wide their window is, but on paper at least they have all the makings of a potential dynasty.

Seahawks on top going into Super Bowl

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