Despite Week 1 loss, Seahawks have many best numbers in NFC West

The Seattle Seahawks have journeyed from bad, to good, to world-beater in three weeks.

But this is the NFL, and that one bad week may prove to be costly at the end of the season.

Yes, it is only Week 3, and yes, the Seahawks can move back into a series split with the San Francisco 49ers by beating them in the season finale. But on paper the standing look like they should be reversed, and the timing of injuries puts Seattle behind the ball when they otherwise might be in the early driver’s seat.

Just a bizarre, 4-point loss to the 49ers in the opener sits between the Seahawks and a 3-0 record. Meanwhile, those 49ers – without Brock Purdy and George Kittle, have beaten:

• An apparently untalented New Orleans Saints by 5
• A historically unclutch Arizona Cardinals team by 1

The timing is especially unfortunate from a Seattle perspective, because the Niners have not yet suffered while several of their stars are down.

But the indicators are that the Seahawks are indeed playing like one of the best teams in the division. Despite being tied for 2nd (or last!), they’ve already set them apart from the division in a few areas.

The Seahawks have:

• The best point differential
• The only non-division win against a team with a winning record
• The only defense to not allow 20 points in a single game
• The only quarterback with a 115-rated game (Sam Darnold 154, Sunday against the Saints)
• The best special teams unit by a wide margin, considering totality of FG %, blocked kicks, average starting field position, and this work of absolute beauty:

Some of the best news of the week is that Seattle got to outright rest its starters for the 4th quarter – a rarity in today’s NFL. A better time does not exist to do that than a short week ahead of Thursday Night Football on the road against a divisional rival. That part of the week could not have worked out better in the Hawks’ favor.

Again, it’s going to remain infuriating that the Seahawks do not in fact have that Week 1 win. It will remain that way until the dust settles on the standings, because this team has set themselves on the trajectory to remain in conversation for first in the West.

But with all the teams in the West holding a winning record – the only such division – The Rams and Seahawks are the two that don’t look like a mirage just yet.

Just a couple days off and then it’s time to go chase 3-1.