For those wondering, yes, the Seahawks already are better than they were in 2025. That was the expectation – and that is how it is working out.
As Mike Macdonald said after his team dominated Arizona 31-7, “There’s an excitement and urgency for us to take it to the next level in all three phases.”
With a 2-0 start, the Seahawks have extended their winning streak across seasons to a franchise-record 12 games (counting postseason).
The defense is locked in as the league’s top unit again, led by Julian Love, Leonard Williams and Devon Witherspoon. They are stuffing the run like no one else, and Love has been an interception machine over the first two weeks.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has burst out of the gates in historic fashion — a bona fide superstar who can dominate no matter who is throwing the ball, even with fewer targets than other WR1s around the NFL. Drew Lock has thrown it well in place of injured Sam Darnold, stacking up as one of the best passers in the league across two weeks. Brian Fleury has made some savvy adjustments to the offense in his first two games as the new play caller. The offensive line got a game ball after the 31-7 win over Arizona despite rotating two players at right guard.
And this team is only going to get better, with Darnold (glute) possibly returning this week, Nick Emmanwori ready for more action after getting a few plays in his debut Sunday, Ty Okada (hamstring) possibly getting ready to play his first game as well, and Zach Charbonnet (knee) potentially beginning to practice soon.
Everything lines up well for the big game against the juggernauting 49ers in Week 5.
The Seahawks are still in the tuneup stage for a couple of weeks, with winless Washington and the L.A. Chargers up next. The Commanders, who still have a pathetic defense, will be playing without Jayden Daniels, their ever fragile quarterback who dislocated his elbow again Sunday in a loss to Dallas. The Chargers have lost to Arizona and Klint Kubiak’s Raiders (now 2-0) in the first two games – and they continue to lose players (two tight ends and a starting guard vs. the Raiders).
The Hawks are headed for 4-0 before the big game vs. the 49ers. They are both 2-0 and leading the NFL in point differential (+42 for SF, +27 for SEA).
Let’s take a look at everything that is working for this team after a 10th straight win vs. Arizona.
Historic start for JSN
JSN scored an 82-yard touchdown on the second play – the longest of his short career. His 155 yards were four more than Arizona totaled, and he put up a touchdown trifecta. Only Steve Largent (twice) and Tyler Lockett had previously gone for 150 and three TDs.
A backup QB Locked in
Lock was excellent in his first start in Seattle under Macdonald, zipping passes all over the field and never putting the ball in jeopardy while hitting 73% and throwing the three TD passes to JSN.
“He was awesome,” Macdonald told Seattle Sports 710. “Had some swag, decisiveness, confidence. Drew knows what we expect from quarterback play. Honestly, it doesn’t change from Sam to Drew.”
Lock is the No. 2 QB in the NFL for passer rating (127.3) and has not turned the ball over.
Darnold is expected back at practice this week, so Lock might be back to the bench — if not this week then certainly in Week 4. But the backup has done his job.
Dominant D ‘like a boa constrictor’
The defense is leading the NFL in fewest yards per play (3.54), rushing success rate and tackles for loss (once per 5.4 carries).
Jacoby Brissett threw for just 95 yards and the Cardinals were 3 of 12 on third downs. Seattle did not allow a pass of longer than nine yards. It was just the 13th time in team history – the second in Macdonald’s 36-game tenure — that an opponent was held to 151 yards or fewer.
“You can hear coach Mike talk about it a lot: We want to be like a boa constrictor,” Williams said. “That’s how we want to win games, meaning we slowly just defeat teams, out-physical teams and toward the end of the game they’re just going to tap out. I think we’ve done a great job of creating that identity, and it shows up on tape.”
Arizona coach Mike LaFleur, hired from the Rams, pointed out that just two teams last season – his Rams and Tampa Bay — managed to move the ball on Seattle. He called figuring out Seattle’s defense “the million-dollar question.”
Among the superlative defenders so far: Love is tied for the league lead with two picks, Williams has two sacks and three TFLs, Derick Hall has a sack and four QB hits, Drake Thomas has 16 tackles and three QB pressures, and Witherspoon is playing all over the place (13 tackles and a team-high seven blitzes).
Macdonald credited Thomas for fixing a mistake the coach made on a defensive alignment and then stuffing Jeremiyah Love for a 3-yard loss.
Macdonald said, “That is some rare, rare stuff that he was able to do on that play.”
Julian Love missed the first half of last season due to injury, so it has been great to see him get off to a spectacular start this season.
“I don’t want to feel like how I felt last year on the sideline watching games,” Love said. “That hasn’t been in my past in my career up until last year, so I put in a lot of work starting early this offseason. And my body feels great. I’m entering the prime of my career, and so I feel physically good, and mentally that’s just kind of what I do. So yeah, everything’s aligning.”
Macdonald said, “Julian is an elite safety in our league. He really can do everything. He can play man-to-man. He can play zone. He can disguise. He attacks the ball. He’s a great tackler. He patrols it. I mean, there’s a lot of stuff going on in our secondary. He makes it seem easy in terms of making the calls.”
Fleury finding his way
Fleury is putting his stamp on the offense. He has used fullback Brady Russell 40% of the time, has run play action from under center at the highest rate in the NFL and had great success with it, and he has avoided showing any tendencies when using motion.
His play call balance so far has been pretty good – although he took the ball out of Lock’s hands on the goal line late in the first half vs. Arizona and the Hawks were stuffed on four running plays.
Backups spur running game
The Seahawks, using a rotation at right guard and their third running back, rushed for 163 yards. Emanuel Wilson led the team with 92 yards as Jadarian Price (52 yards) sat out the fourth quarter with an apparently minor shoulder injury.
Macdonald gave John Benton and his line — including right guards Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens — a game ball.
“We knew we had to be ready for the multiple looks that Arizona could give us defensively, both by what personnel they could throw on the field and how they packaged their front and movements and things like that,” Macdonald said. “So really, really great first step from our coaching staff to our players to be ready for those different looks. I thought for the most part we ID’d them and targeted them pretty dang good. I though our effort was tremendous.”
Price and Wilson have busted some long runs in the first two games, and Macdonald thinks the Hawks will get even more of that.
“I think when you watch the tape, there’s a hunger there for more explosive runs, which is really cool,” the coach said. “We’ve got a great opportunity in front of us.”
