The Seattle Seahawks are fully prepared to make the NFL’s postseason as successful as their regular season performance.
The Seahawks made three key free agent moves in the offseason that turned out to be dramatic game changers and were all vital to winning the NFC West and earning the top seed in the NFC playoffs.
The most obvious was the move at quarterback that saw the team bring in Sam Darnold. The Seahawks were big believers in Darnold – and not just because he led the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs in 2024. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak had worked closely with Darnold when the two men worked together on the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. Darnold was merely a backup that season who started just 1 game, but Kubiak liked his makeup and his work ethic.
The fact that Kubiak enjoyed working with him and thought of him as a good person and teammate had as much to do with the signing as Darnold’s brilliant 2024 season. He completed 361 of 545 passes for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for the Vikings, and that performance backed up Kubiak’s assessment.
Darnold was a quick study in the Seattle system, as he completed 323 of 477 passes for 4,048 yards with 25 TDs and 14 interceptions. More than the numbers, he immediately worked out winning relationships with wide outs Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, another key free agent signing.
Darnold excels at reading defenses and making quick decisions. Similar to his season in Minnesota when he had Justin Jefferson as his No. 1 receiver, he had a similar player in Smith-Njigba. The connection proved to be a brilliant one, as the Seahawks’ No. 1 receiver turned out to be a game changer.
Smith-Njigba caught a remarkable 119 passes for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also turned 79 of his receptions into first-down plays.
Kupp turned out to be a brilliant acquisition as the No. 2 receiver. He caught 47-593-2 and he is one of the best blocking receivers in the league. The decision to bring Kupp into the fold — and take him away from the division rival Los Angeles Rams — gave the Seahawks offense an edge that would pay off throughout the season.
The addition of defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was one of the most underrated moves in the NFL this season. He had 6.0 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 53 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries and he turned 2 of those recoveries into touchdowns.
The Seahawks (14-3-0) finished with the best record in the NFC for multiple reasons, but the growth and depth of their defense cannot be overstated. They ranked first in the league by allowing just 17.2 points per game and they were especially strong against the run. They allowed just 91.9 rushing yards per game and they should be able to maintain that position of strength throughout the postseason.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is a low-key but strong leader. He won over his players a year ago, and he made the correct move when he fired offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb a year ago and brought in Kubiak. The Seattle offensive game plan plays to the strength of Darnold as well as running backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, and this is clearly a team that has the versatility and talent to make a run at the Super Bowl.
