Where Seahawks sit in NFL power rankings after 2-0 start

22 Sep 2026, 09:54 by Seattle Times sports staff · The Seattle Times

The NFL power rankers are starting to get on the same page regarding the Seahawks.

They have had the Seahawks in the top five the past two weeks, but they were scattered about.

Now they’re either at Nos. 1 or 2 in most of the rankings. In fact, only one has them as low as third.

It seems blowing out the Cardinals while playing with a backup quarterback will make rankers believe in the whole team.

But we’ll let them tell you about it:

Who needs Sam Darnold when you have Drew Lock?! Jokes aside, Lock was excellent in his first start in place of Darnold, dicing up the Cardinals with a fearless style of play that should both endear him to Seahawks fans and help them worry less about the absence of their starting quarterback. Pairing Lock and Co. with the Dark Side defense worked incredibly well for one week and keeps the defending champs atop the Power Rankings.

ESPN: 2 (2)

One thing we know about the QB1: Drew Lock is one of the NFL’s best backup QBs. He’s not the same player who turned the ball over 25 times in 24 games over his first three seasons in Denver. Or the one who couldn’t beat out Geno Smith after a trade to Seattle in 2022. Lock has gotten plenty of help from receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Seattle’s defense, but he has also played like a starter. Since stepping in for an injured Sam Darnold one series into the season opener, Lock has completed almost 73% of his passes, with four touchdowns, zero turnovers and only two sacks. His Total QBR of 86.4 ranks fourth.

The Athletic: 3 (2)

Rookie spotlight: Jadarian Price. The first-round running back has looked like a respectable replacement for Kenneth Walker, but he left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. The final pick in the first round out of Notre Dame has 23 carries for 104 yards and three catches for 14 yards through his two abbreviated weeks. Third-round cornerback Julian Neal is also contributing.

CBS Sports: 1(1)

The sign of a good team is one that can go on the road and win with a backup quarterback. Drew Lock did a really nice job in beating Arizona.

Fox Sports: 2 (3)

You’re all correct. The defending champs probably should be No. 1. The truth is that they probably would be if their quarterback wasn’t Drew Lock for now.

The Sporting News: 2 (4)

The Seahawks are flexing as complete champions again even without Sam Darnold. Jaxon Smith-Njigba racked up 155 yards and three TDs on Sunday. The defense is still the defense for Mike Macdonald with a few new pieces.

Sports Illustrated: 1 (1)

The stat about the Seahawks holding the Cardinals without a pass of more than 10 yards for the first time in Cardinals history since the strike year in 1987 is so wild. And, with Drew Lock having a lights-out day in that offense, we get closer to having The Darnold Conversation.

Bleacher Report: 1 (1)

The Seattle Seahawks have done nothing through two weeks to suggest that they can’t make another run at the Super Bowl. The defending champs overcame some early struggles and the loss of quarterback Sam Darnold to outlast the Patriots in their Week 1 Super Bowl rematch. They overcame another slow start on Sunday but eventually rolled to a convincing road victory over a division rival. Seattle’s defense again looks like a championship-caliber unit, and its offense has continued to be potent behind the guidance of backup quarterback Drew Lock. There has been building buzz that Darnold could return to practice as soon as this week. However, the Seahawks should feel no pressure to rush Darnold back onto the field after a 2-0 start.

Pro Football Talk: 1 (1)

No Darnold? No problem.