Seahawks power ranking at number 1 for ESPN seems odd

Entering the Seahawks bye week, Seattle gets high marks among many sites that do weekly power rankings.

Let me preface what you are about to read, dear 12, but saying that NFL power rankings are completely meaningless in most ways. But one way they are not is that it gives a fan of an NFL team bragging rights when speaking to a co-worker. And the Seattle Seahawks are 5-0 and highly ranked among many sites. ESPN has Seattle number one.

Why does ESPN have Seattle as the best team in the league through week five? Who knows? The entire snippet of what ESPN has to say about the Seahawks is overly negative. OK, we get it, ESPN. Seattle’s defense stinks and maybe it won’t get any better any time soon. Or maybe it will? Again, who knows?

"The Seahawks are 5-0 despite a historically leaky defense. They allowed a combined 1,292 passing yards over their first three games, easily the most to begin a season in NFL history. They had been fine against the run until Sunday night versus Minnesota when they were gashed for 201 yards on the ground. The 2,356 yards Seattle has given up are the most by any team through five games since the 1950 Colts, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The Seahawks’ saving grace has been forcing turnovers — they’re tied for second in the NFL with 10 — and getting stops in critical moments, like the stuff on fourth-and-1 against the Vikings on Sunday. — Brady Henderson"

But for a site to rank an NFL team as the best in the league (so far), you think they’d say something actively positive instead of a backward compliment? (Although I will say I am a huge fan of Brady Henderson’s and wish I could write like him. He didn’t make up the entire 32 team list; He was just asked to do the Seattle part – weird that’s the only thing ESPN has for Seattle’s write-up.)

Other sites

Don’t worry, though. Pro Football Talk and The Sporting News also have Seattle number one overall. The Sporting News does mention Seattle’s defensive inefficiencies. Pro Football Talk doesn’t say much at all.

But here’s the thing that 12s can hope for. Sure, the defense in Seattle is bad. So far. But the Seahawks still have an excellent offense led by Russell Wilson. And the defense could get – and should get – better. Maybe much better.

The secondary has been banged up and offseason acquisitions Quinton Dunbar and Jamal Adams haven’t played much and have played even less together. The secondary isn’t going to be the LOB 2.0 that we hoped, but it should be better than it has shown in 2020. And if the defense improves, Seattle could easily win the Super Bowl.