The Seattle Seahawks have fallen out of the national top 10 power rankings, dropping an average of over four spots after a brutal double-digit loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 8. This comes just one week after the team had moved back up the rankings, but the 34-17 defeat at Lumen Field has national media sites hitting the Hawks hard.
Darnold’s Play and the 4-4 Reality Hit Hard
The biggest hits to Seattle’s standing came from CBS Sports and Bleacher Report, both of whom plummeted the Seahawks out of the top 10. CBS Sports dropped the squad six spots, from 8th to 14th in the league, flat out stating that Sam Darnold “just doesn’t look right.” Bleacher Report was equally harsh, moving Seattle from 7th to 13th, and noting that the team’s current 4-4 record perfectly reflects their performance this year. Ouch. They even went so far as to call the earlier domination over the Kansas City Chiefs “an aberration.” That’s a gut punch, considering how much energy we poured into that win.
Job Watch on Fleury and a Steep Playoff Climb
Not every national site was quite as punitive, but the message was still clear. Pro Football Talk only dropped Seattle two spots, from 7th to 9th, but bluntly noted that the Seahawks, or even the Rams, might not make the playoffs at all this year. ESPN, meanwhile, slid the Hawks from 5th to 8th, while also taking a moment to reminisce about Marshawn Lynch as Seattle’s biggest-ever trade acquisition. The highest ranking came from NFL.com, placing the Seahawks at 7th, a three-spot drop. But even they added to the concerns, pointing out that offensive coordinator Brian Fleury may be “on a job watch” after the offense’s showing against Chicago. When the OC’s job security is openly questioned, you know things aren’t great.
Overall, the national landscape was not gentle. This isn’t just about one bad loss, either. This feels like the culmination of the team losing three out of their last four games. The offense has been struggling, and that’s the real problem. The average power ranking across these five sites plunged from 5.8 heading into Week 8 to a stark 10.2 going into Week 9. If the struggles continue, it’s tough to see this team making any noise in the playoffs, if they even get there.
The good news, if you can call it that, is the Hawks get a chance to right the ship next week against the Arizona Cardinals. We need to see that offense click, and fast, because the road to the playoffs just got a whole lot steeper.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Field Gulls.
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