Seattle Seahawks and a Decade of Dominance

Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Malcolm Smith (53) is awarded MVP as he hoists the Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium. Seattle Seahawks won 43-8. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to the magic of roman numerals, it occurred to me the other day that each of Seattle’s three appearances have all come in the last decade. The first was Super Bowl XL (40), and the current one is Super Bowl XLIX (49).

In fact, Seattle’s three Super Bowl appearances over the last decade is tied for the best in the NFL. Their Super Bowl XLIX opponent, the New England Patriots, and their Super Bowl XL opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, also have three.

The Seahawks have also done so in an incredibly tough division. The NFC West still deals with a lot of bad press over Seattle winning the division with a 7-9 record back in 2010. It was a weird year in which all four teams were in flux, but it doesn’t represent the quality of the division as a whole.

The truth is that the NFC West has been arguably the best division in the NFL for the past decade. Five of the last 10 Super Bowls have come from the division, including each of the last three seasons. No other division has more than 4.

It should also be noted that three of the four teams in the NFC West have reached the Super Bowl in the last decade. Only two other divisions have two teams that have made it.

So when you look at this way, Seattle’s record over the last decade has been incredibly impressive. Not only have they maddest to the big game as much or more than anyone else, but they’ve done so in the toughest division in the NFL.