Seahawks move up to No. 3 in ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings
Nov 10, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) is pushed out of bounds by Atlanta Falcons linebacker Paul Worrilow (55) during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Seahawks defeated the Falcons 33-10. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Seahawks 33-10 rout of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday helped Seattle move out of the No. 4 spot on ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings for the first time since Week 6.
Seattle now holds the No. 3 spot behind the No. 2 Denver Broncos (8-1) and the No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (9-0).
"The Seahawks just dismantled the Falcons Sunday. Marshawn Lynch had 145 of the team’s 211 rushing yards, reaching 70 yards after contact for the third time as a Seahawk."
Next week, the Seahawks will take on the Minnesota Vikings (2-7) who have been regarded as one of the worst teams in the NFL. ESPN.com has them ranked No. 30, right above the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8) and Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8).
According to ESPN’s Rankings:
"Christian Ponder’s shoulder injury has his status up in the air for Sunday. Ponder completed 81 percent of his passes for 174 yards in Thursday’s win over the Redskins."
The Vikings are statistically among the lower-half of NFL teams. The offense passes for 206.4 yards per game (25th in the NFL) and rushes for 109.2 yards per game (17th).
Defensively, the Vikings allow more than 285 passing yards per game (29th) and 113.7 yards on the ground (27th).
Worth noting:
1) After the Minnesota game, the Seahawks will get a week off to prepare for the New Orleans Saints (7-2) who are the second-highest ranked NFC team on ESPN’s Power Rankings. The Saints beat up on the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football and moved up to the No. 4 spot on ESPN.com for Week 11.
Many believe the Seahawks-Saints game will be a playoff preview as the best teams in the NFC square off on Monday Night Football.
2) In case you were wondering, the San Francisco 49ers loss on Sunday moved them to 6-3 on the year and dropped them to No. 8 in the Power Rankings.
3) The Seahawks have not been ranked lower than No. 5 this season by ESPN, and that came in Week 6 following the Seahawks loss to the Indianapolis Colts.