For Pete’s sake: 3 stars for Seahawks versus Chargers Week 7

The Seattle Seahawks are one of the surprise teams in the NFL so far this year. After a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7, Seattle is now 4-3. The team is also in first place in the NFC West.

Of course, this year, like every other season, is a long one. There are still 10 games left for the Seahawks. They are a Geno Smith injury away from being not very good. (By the way, if you had bet on a sentence being written like that before the year began, go collect your money.)

But with every passing week, this version of the team is more and more believable. A victory over the Broncos in Week 1? That was because the team was hyped up to play Russell Wilson. In Week 4? The Lions are just bad defensively. But the last two games? The team has simply been good.

3 stars for the Seahawks in Week 7

Cornerback Coby Bryant

While this team has had some valuable veteran leadership and play (see: Geno Smith), the rookies are a huge part of the reason the team is 4-3. Multiple rookies in different units are making a bigger immediate impact than any other group in Seattle’s history since at least 2012. And Coby Bryant is simply getting better with each passing game.

Bryant currently leads the league in forced fumbles and while he seemed a bit slow to acclimate to covering NFL receivers, he has used smarts and technique to overcome any lack of speed. Case in point, Bryant’s job in Week 7 was mostly to cover Chargers receiver Keenan Allen out of the slot. Allen is dealing with a hamstring injury but is still capable of being great.

But on Sunday, Allen only had 2 catches for 11 yards. Allen simply couldn’t get open against Bryant. But Bryant also was good against the run and had a tackle for loss. He finished third on the team in tackles with 6 (5 solo). Bryant and Tariq Woolen are going to be great for the Seahawks for a long time to come.