I remember the first Super Bowl I watched in full when I was 9 years old. I recall my mom making some homemade thin crust pizza for the occasion and watching Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers jam out at halftime.
Most notably, I remember how ruthless the Seattle Seahawks were from the very first snap to the final running play to beat the Denver Broncos 43-8, winning their first Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium, a 20-minute drive from my hometown.
That performance convinced me to hop on the bandwagon and call them my team.
The reason I mention this game is because the Seahawks’ performance this season reminds me of those good old days. A combination of a star-studded offense with a lockdown defense form one cohesive unit on both ends of the ball.
While the starting quarterback didn’t start his career in Seattle, Sam Darnold has proved that with high-caliber receivers, an offense under his helm can thrive.
This was evident in their Sunday Night Football matchup against the Washington Commanders on Nov. 2. Darnold made a perfect 16 out of 16 pass attempts, threw for 282 yards and four touchdowns — all in just the first half.
However, high-level performances aren’t guaranteed every week. This was clear last Sunday, when Darnold threw no touchdowns and four interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams, resulting in a 21-19 loss and a surrendered division lead.
Darnold now has 10 interceptions, the third most from a QB this season — a stat that should raise concerns. Turnovers aside, the offensive production exceeded my expectations.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is living up to his first-round draft pick hype, becoming the first wide receiver this season to surpass 1,000 catching yards.
What’s more eye-catching is his rapid growth in his third season. In his rookie year in 2023, he caught the ball 63 times, amassed 628 catching yards and caught four touchdowns.
In just nine games this season, he’s caught the ball 72 times. He also caught the ball for at least 400 more total yards and has five touchdowns to his name.
Outside of Smith-Njigba, the wide receiver room offers a variety of experience levels.
Veteran wideout and former Ram Cooper Kupp has quietly become a meaningful piece of Seattle’s offense. While he’s only made 29 catches this season, he’s averaged 21.3 yards per catch in his last five games, proving he’s still capable of driving the ball down the field when given the opportunity.
Rookie Tory Horton, the fifth-rounder out of Colorado State, has already caught five touchdown passes — including two in Seattle’s 38-14 win against the Commanders. He also proved to be an option on special teams when he took a 95-yard punt return to the house against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 21.
The Seahawks recently made a big move during the Nov. 4 trade deadline, when they acquired New Orleans receiver Rashid Shaheed. Although Shaheed had a season-ending injury last year, his punt return expertise and connections with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak make him a viable target on both offense and special teams.
However, the Legion of Boom got its name from that notorious defense that propelled the team to hoist its first Lombardi. While Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor are no longer in the league, this new defense is one to watch closely.
The Seahawks have recorded 32 sacks so far — tied for fourth most in the league — with defensive linemen Uchenna Nwosu, Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II leading the team with at least five sacks each. Fellow lineman DeMarcus Lawrence, who has accounted for four sacks this season, had two fumble recovery touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals Nov. 9.
What makes this defense impressive is that some of the starters have been sitting out with injuries. The Seahawks beat the Cardinals 44-22 without players like Ernest Jones IV and Josh Jobe, who’ve each tallied at least one interception this season.
Let me remind you that the Seahawks are being coached by former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, whose 2023 Ravens defense he led ranked best in points allowed, sacks and takeaways in a single season, something no NFL defense in history has done before.
Despite a few hiccups with turnovers and injuries, I’m satisfied with what the team has accomplished so far. I think that the direction the team is heading towards looks promising.
If you grant more time for some players to develop, I think there is another defensive dynasty looking to emerge in the Pacific Northwest.