Seattle Seahawks studs and duds stand out after the first 8 games

The Seattle Seahawks have definitely seen some studs break out this season. Unfortunately, we've seen a few duds as well. Who stands out, and who's stepped back? Or perhaps a few players should be asked to step back.

The Seattle Seahawks once again asked the 12s to get on the roller coaster and enjoy the ride. The studs brought the thrills while the duds - well, let's just say they shouldn't have had those six corndogs before they got on. Because everybody suffers when those corndogs come back up. And frankly, we've seen a few too many corndogs the second time around. And once again, bah to the NFL for creating the abomination of the 17-game schedule.

Even in their best seasons, being a proud 12 has required more than a bit of intestinal fortitude. It's easy to forget that the 2013 Hawks went 2-2 in their last four regular season games before finally obliterating the Broncos in the Super Bowl. That team was filled with studs. The 2023 may have a few comparable players, but it also has a few duds. At least, that's how they've played so far.

The Seattle Seahawks have too many players sitting between the studs and duds roles

Not every championship team needs a stud at quarterback - see Trent Dilfer, Mark Rypien, et al. But it doesn't exactly hurt your chances to have an absolute stud at the position, either. Geno Smith was a stud in 2022; he is not this season. Yes, the Seahawks have had eight different starting offensive lines in eight games, and that certainly hasn't helped.

But at this point last year, Smith was a front-runner for league MVP, not just Comeback Player of the Year. He had 13 touchdown passes and just three picks. He eclipsed a passer rating of 100 five times and was below 90 just once. So far this year, Smith has nine touchdowns against seven picks. He has only two games above 100 in passer rating and five below 90.

I'm not saying he's a dud, though. Could he be playing better? Of course, he could; he'll be the first to say so. Until that debacle versus the Ravens, he'd always completed at least 60 percent of his passes and had thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game. Of the top 10 QBs in the league by passer rating, only Tua Tagovailoa, Kirk Cousins, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts have pulled that off in every game this season. So there's no way to say that Geno Smith is a dud overall. Seriously, who would you rather have; one of the New York quarterbacks? Some of you wanted Jimmy G, so relax already.