You have to pay attention to the Los Angeles Rams. The New England Patriots might pull off a massive surprise. The Green Bay Packers are no sleeper. The Kansas City Chiefs? It's still a little crazy to write them off, isn't it? And the Buffalo Bills — if it's not KC's year, it should be theirs. What about the Seattle Seahawks? They're in this group, right?
This "group" lays out Super Bowl contenders, and yes, the Seahawks should have regular mention in this conversation like the above teams. Sam Darnold's past brings legitimate reservations, of course, and that's fair. But there are a handful of factors giving this Seahawks team Super Bowl vibes.
Seattle is one of the most complete teams, if not the most complete, in the NFL, especially in the NFC. Their defense, offense, and special teams are clicking as one group, and that's about as dangerous a playoff team as anybody could face. It's also why Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks the Seahawks high on its list of potential Super Bowl winners.
PFF ranks Seahawks with third-best odds to win this year's Super Bowl
According to PFF, there are only three teams that currently have better odds than the Seahawks to win it all this year: the Bills, Packers, and Rams. Buffalo leads the AFC with the best odds to make it to the Super Bowl, while LA leads the NFC.
Seattle's dominant offense and defense are largely what put them at the top of the list, but across the board, the Seahawks have one of the most efficient and complete teams in the league. Seattle ranks in the top two in points scored per game (29.8) and points allowed per game (17.4). The defense ranks 6th in the league, allowing 288.4 yards per game and 25 touchdowns.
While Seattle's passing defense ranks outside the top ten (11th), it's their rushing defense (4th) that has made them so effective. As for the offense, they currently rank 9th in the league, averaging 353.5 yards per game and 42 touchdowns. Seattle also ranks 9th in passing with 253.6 yards per game, but is the 2nd-ranked scoring offense with a 29.8 scoring average.
Having the 3rd-best odds of winning the Super Bowl are likely beyond offseason and preseason expectations. With the switch at quarterback during the summer, the shift in the wide receiver room, and some unknowns on defense, Seattle has not just scuffled past any expectations that were there, but soared right over them.
Darnold has played a significant part in that, and it's led Seattle to where they are today. There is just one roadblock standing in their way, as it appears to be with four games remaining in the season: division rivals, the Rams. LA has already taken Seattle down once this year, and one more matchup remains.
Who wins their rematch will tell a lot about the playoff picture and Super Bowl odds going into the postseason. If Seattle can even their series with the Rams in two weeks, PFF may increase their Super Bowl odds. Not only that, but beating the Rams means the Seahawks can beat whoever comes in their path.