The Seattle Seahawks closed out the regular season on a seven-game losing streak to run away with the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Then, after a well-deserved bye week, they crushed the San Francisco 49ers 41-6.
That win should cement the Seahawks as the team to beat in the conference, and maybe in the entire league. More than that, it should also be more than enough to appease the doubters who thought this team would go one-and-done in the playoffs.
The Seahawks led the league in point differential, and are far and away the best of the remaining playoff teams. Considering that they didn't even play in the Wild Card Round, that's even more impressive.
The Seattle Seahawks are on a tier of their own this season
With just two games left in the playoffs, the Seahawks sit at the top of the point differential list with +226. That's slightly more than 30 points more than the New England Patriots, which rank second with +195. Through 18 games, they've scored 524 points and given up 298.
With offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak at the helm, the Seahawks scored the third-most points per game this season (28.4). Coach Macdonald also worked his magic on defense, with the Seahawks giving up a league-best 17.2 points per game.
This team has proven that they can hold their own against any opponent when they're at their best. And, after watching them ride an eight-game winning streak in which they've outscored their opposition 230 to 105, it's been a while since this team hasn't been at its best.
Of course, losing running back Zach Charbonnet for the remainder of the season will be a big blow. He had 730 rushing yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in the win over the San Francisco 49ers.
But even if that's the case, this team should have more than enough resources to get by. They've split the season series with Sean McVay's Los Angeles Rams, a team that has been on the road for two consecutive seasons and is coming off a narrow overtime win in Chicago's blistering cold.
The Seattle Seahawks are for real, and while retaining Mike Macdonald's coaching staff for another year will be an almost impossible task, this team has a strong foundation and should be a powerhouse in the NFC West for many more years to come.