SEATTLE — The postgame vibe Sunday wasn't that the Seahawks were 3-3 and out of the red from a win-loss perspective. The vibe among the players after their 19-9 win over the Cardinals was that they were in first place in their division.
Never mind that the Rams and 49ers share the top spot in the NFC West with the same record. Never mind that the NFL season is barely more than a third of the way through the season, either.
The fact is, these Seahawks were slept on before the year began. But now you have to wonder if this team will go from one that generated zzzzzz's among pundits to one with that will end the year with a "z" next to its name — the letter assigned to a division winner in the standings.
I'll be honest about a couple of things:
1) I was one of the media folk using the Seahawks as a Tempur-Pedic. They'd traded away their nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback in Russell Wilson after a seven-win season and had Randy's Donuts-sized holes on their defense. It wasn't surprising that the majority of gambling sites picked only the Jets and Falcons to finish with fewer wins than Seattle.
2) I didn't expect players to put much emotion into the fact that they'd won their way into a three-way tie for first place so early into the season. It's rare for .500 to spark much joy among world-class athletes, but you could hear the satisfaction in their voices.
What does it mean to be tied for first six weeks in? Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith was asked.
"It means everything. It really does," Smith said. "That's what it's about it. We have to win our division first in order to get to the playoffs, which is our goal."
So are the Seahawks going to end up as NFC West champs or at least make the playoffs?
Obviously, it depends on myriad factors. But here's why they can:
A) They have a quarterback who's been one of the best in the league this season. Among QBs who have thrown more than 80 times, Smith's passer rating of 108.1 is second only to the Bills' Josh Allen (109.1) — and Allen is the MVP front-runner. And though Smith didn't come close to matching the production Sunday that he showed in his previous two outings — in which he logged a 132.6 rating in a win over the Lions, then a 139.7 rating in a loss to the Saints — he epitomized the game-managing role that earned him the starting nod in the first place.
There were five sacks, but no seismic score-shifting mistakes. He played "above the neck," as he likes to say. But given some of the dimes he's dropped throughout the season — whether they be to DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett or any one of his tight ends — he's shown he can play beyond the sticks, too.
B) This might be the most complete rookie class coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have drafted. I realize that's bold. This is the duo that selected Wilson, Bobby Wagner, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, K.J. Wright and Russell Okung over a three-year span, which led to two Super Bowl appearances and a world championship. But top to bottom? This one might go unmatched.
There's the potential Defensive Rookie of the Year in cornerback Tariq Woolen, who has four interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a blocked field-goal attempt that was returned for a touchdown. There's fellow cornerback Coby Bryant, who has four forced fumbles. Running back Kenneth Walker III looked like Barry Sanders Lite on a few runs Sunday and has compiled 185 yards in 29 carries over his past two games. And then there are left tackle Charles Cross and right tackle Abe Lucas, who are just the third rookie offensive-tackle duo to start in the NFL in the past 50 years.
The learning curve among first-year players is as steep as an Alp in the Tour de France. But these ones seem to be getting real good, real fast, which bodes well for Seattle's playoff chances.
C) The defense finally broke through. Those Randy's Donuts-sized holes? They were on full display through the first five games, as the Seahawks were at or near the bottom of the NFL in every meaningful defensive category. But Sunday's nine-point bulwark displayed dominance from the pass-rush (six sacks) and secondary (an interception and forced fumble/recovery) that had Carroll beaming.
What did you like about the defense Sunday?
"Everything," Carroll said. "Really everything."
Of course, there also are plenty of reasons to be skeptical about Seattle's chances to play an 18th game this year. Their three wins have come against teams with a combined record of 5-12, and their three losses have come against teams with a combined record of 8-10. They haven't played a team that currently sits above .500. They are also near the bottom of every defensive category, and like the NBA's "Linsanity" surrounding the breakout performance of Jeremy Lin a decade or so ago, one has to think the Geno Smith pixie dust will eventually run out.
But for now — this team is in a tie for first place. Nobody would have guessed that six weeks ago. It might lead to disappointment to wonder about a playoff berth, but it wouldn't be unjustified.
