Another night, another absurdly dominant performance from the Seattle Seahawks under the lights of prime time. Seattle handled the Houston Texans with relative ease last week on Monday Night Football, and they kept it rolling after the bye with an absolute pasting of the Washington Commanders in their own building on Sunday Night Football.
Seattle scored on all five first half possessions, going up 28-0 and then 31-7 at halftime. After two quarters, this was over. The Seahawks cruised to 6-2, and as such, there is plenty to talk about from this one. So sit back, relax, and enjoy reading the top takeaways from Week 9…. spoiler alert, they are going to be mainly positive.
Sam Darnold is going to get MVP votes
This is not an exaggeration. Even last year, with his well-documented meltdowns against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams to end the Vikings‘ season, he still received MVP votes. This time, if he keeps it up, his name is going to wind up on first place ballots. Darnold completed 21-of-24 passes for 330 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. He was 16-for-16 in the first half alone, and tied Warren Moon’s franchise record with 17-straight completions. Darnold was simply surgical, connecting with three different receivers – Tory Horton, Cody White, and Elijah Arroyo – for his scores. Keep in mind, for White and Arroyo, those were their first touchdowns of their career. I know Minnesota also won in Week 9, but you have to imagine the organization (and their fans) are wondering about the road not taken.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the Offensive Player of the Year
Monster games for JSN are becoming the norm. Six times this year he has had over 100 receiving yards, out of eight possible opportunities. On Sunday night, JSN had another eight receptions for 129 yards. Although he did not find the end zone, he achieved something far more valuable: more history. JSN just completed his fourth-straight game with at least 100 receiving yards, breaking a tie with Steve Largent for most ever by a Seahawks receiver in a single season. He also joined Isaac Bruce as the only two players in league history, 23 years old or younger, to have at least 900 receiving yards in their first eight games of a season. Jaxon Smith-Njigba continues to lead the NFL with 948 yards, which is ten more yards than what Bruce achieved in 1995.
Special teams remain special
I cannot overstate how huge it is for the Seahawks that their special teams unit has gone from a critical liability to a key difference maker. Special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh deserves a ton of credit for getting his unit into shape for 2025, as they have been game changers. After Seattle went up 14-0, the Commanders fumbled the ensuing kick off, which the Seahawks recovered. One play later, Sam Darnold found Elijah Arroyo to expand their lead to 21-0 and the route was officially on. Jason Myers tacked on a 41-yard goal before halftime as well, remaining solid on the season as well.
Rushing attack still needs work
Seattle’s ground game still isn’t where Mike Macdonald, Klint Kubiak, or any 12 out there would want it to be. In fairness, Sam Darnold and the passing attack were so dang effective the team did not really need to run. But still, raw numbers, the Seahawks ran for only 88 yards as a team. Kenneth Walker III led the team in attempts (11) and yards (42) but it is slightly telling the only ball carrier to find the end zone on Sunday night was tight end AJ Barner.
Riq Woolen was not in the starting lineup
A rather curious move, as a fully healthy Riq Woolen did not start Sunday’s game. Instead, Josh Jobe did, who was starting in place of the injured Devon Witherspoon in recent weeks. I don’t blame Macdonald, as Jobe has been playing exceptionally well in relief. However, Woolen did find his way back onto the field as Jobe exited with a concussion (more on him, shortly) and finished the game with three tackles and a pass defense.
More injuries to the Seahawks’ defense
Linebacker Ernest Jones IV and cornerback Josh Jobe (as I mentioned previously) left the game with injuries. Jones banged up his knee, to which head coach Mike Macdonald sounded optimistic that it was not season ending, although he may have to miss some time. Jobe is officially in concussion protocol. The Seahawks do have depth at these positions, but not having Jobe and especially Jones in the lineup is going to hurt. Hopefully, we will see both back on the field in no time.
Seahawks move into first place in the NFC West
Thanks to the San Francisco 49ers falling to the Houston Texans last week to give them a third loss, and due to a better in-division record tiebreaker over the Los Angeles Rams, the Seattle Seahawks are officially in first place in the NFC West. The Rams are breathing down their neck with an identical 6-2 record, and their Week 11 matchup looms large. Seattle will need to secure their ninth-straight win over the Arizona Cardinals next week at Lumen Field in order to keep LA at bay and remain in first.