Seahawks move up to No. 4 spot in ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings
Oct 13, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Robert Turbin (22) carries the ball against the Tennessee Titans at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the Titans 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Seahawks moved up to No. 4 in ESPN.com’s Week 7 NFL Power Rankings following a 20-13 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Last week, the Seahawks were ranked No. 5, but Marshawn Lynch’s big game against the Titans helped the Seahawks improve to 5-1 on the season and move up in the weekly rankings.
ESPN.com said:
"Marshawn Lynch had 21 rushes for 77 yards and four catches for 78 yards Sunday, his first career game with at least 75 rushing and 75 receiving yards."
NFL.com did not think the Seahawks win was impressive enough to move them in their rankings. Seattle is ranked No. 5 by Elliot Harrison, the same spot they were in last week. To justify it, he said:
"Tell me the 12th Man didn’t get a little queasy late in the third quarter Sunday when it was 10-all and the Titans were at the Seattle 43. Close contest. Loved the play by reserve Seahawks holder Chris Maragos, who singlehandedly made Urkel, Lucas, Dan Orlovsky and millions of other people feel better about their respective athletic careers."
Both ESPN.com and NFL.com listed the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs at the top of their rankings, respectively, as they are the last undefeated teams left in the NFL.
The Arizona Cardinals (3-3), who the Seahawks will play on Thursday, are ranked No. 21 by both ESPN.com and NFL.com.
ESPN.com says:
"Carson Palmer was 1-of-8 with two interceptions on throws at least 15 yards downfield Sunday. Palmer’s seven picks on deep throws lead all quarterbacks."
That could be a problem for the Cardinals against the Seahawks secondary, which has allowed just 188.3 passing yards per game, second-best in the NFL. According to Harrison, Palmer’s passer rating in his past five games hasn’t been better than 79.1, which he had on Sunday. His lowest QB rating in those games was a 43.4 in Week 3 against the Saints.
The Arizona run game isn’t much better, averaging 85.7 yards per game on the ground, 24th in the league.
Harrison said:
"…The run game had its moments against the Niners, rushing for 109 yards at a pace of 5.2 yards per crack, and the defense has mostly been a team strength. That makes quarterback play the difference-maker, which we saw Sunday, as both of Palmer’s picks led to San Francisco points. Essentially, Arizona is capable of winning 8-10 games — provided its quarterback can play top-15 football."
Injuries have hurt the Seahawks through the first six weeks of the season, but at this point, they have managed to maintain wins.
The Seahawks will have a long gap between their Week 7 game against the Cardinals and their Week 8 match up with the St. Louis Rams (3-3), which may help their injured players in the recovery process.
Seattle plays the Cardinals on Thursday then must wait eleven days before taking on the Rams in St. Louis on Monday Night Football on Oct. 28.