The Seattle Seahawks are no stranger to playing for NFL championships. In the past decade, they’ve won one and nearly won a second. But this is a different Seahawks franchise than those teams of the mid-2010s. They still have the same leadership structure in place, but they don’t have the same defensive tenacity they once had.

The Seahawks have a solid record at this point in the season, but it’s quite possible that their impressive win-loss total is fool’s gold. So are the Seattle Seahawks worse than their record says?

The Seattle Seahawks’ 2020 season so far

According to ESPN, the Seahawks are 7-3 and tied for first in the NFC West. They have wins over the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, and Arizona Cardinals. They currently have a division record of 2-2. The team is fifth in passing yards and second overall in points scored.

There’s little doubt who the MVP is right now: Russell Wilson, who’s passed for nearly 3,000 yards. Sophomore wideout DK Metcalf has also been a revelation, emerging as a top wide receiver. After a hot start, the Seahawks have slowed a bit. They’re still in good shape when it comes to the playoff hunt, but what can the team expect over the course of the next few weeks? 

What are the Seattle Seahawks’ playoff chances? 

It should be noted the Seahawks’ playoff chances at this point are pretty good. They’ve got a solid record and if the playoffs started today, they’d be in. They’re currently tied for the division lead with the LA Rams. That means they’ve got a decent shot at a wild card spot if they can’t lock down the division crown.

The NFC is pretty top-heavy this season. Outside the division leaders, the only true wild-card contenders are the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the 5-5 Bears hanging around for the time being. Chicago’s shaky QB situation hardly inspires confidence, and the NFC East’s non-division leaders are all terrible (Spoiler alert: The division winner will be as well). 

Seattle’s done enough to have an inside track to the playoffs. But is that enough to be considered a top team in the NFC? 

Are the Seahawks worse than their record? 

NFL.com released an article listing three teams better than their record and three teams that are worse. The Seahawks were listed as one of the teams that aren’t nearly as good as their 7-3 record indicates. There are a few reasons for this: 

• The Seahawks got off to a 5-0 start and have gone 2-3 since. While they deserve credit for the hot start, the NFL is a “win now” league. Teams that get hot at the right time can carry that momentum through a playoff run. Seattle isn’t hot at the moment. 
• They’re all Wilson right now. He’s playing at an MVP level, but the defense just isn’t stacking up. They’re giving up too many points. Championship teams may be built around passing and offense in this modern era, but you need a competent defense to get stops in January.

The Seahawks are coming off a convincing win against the Cardinals, giving them breathing room between them and their division rival. They also have one of the easier schedules among playoff contenders for the remainder of the season. That said, if the defense doesn’t get itself together in the next few weeks, they could be looking at an early playoff exit.