ClutchPoints
The Seattle Seahawks are no longer a team quietly building something special in the Pacific Northwest. After demolishing the Washington Commanders 38-14 on Sunday Night Football, it’s time to officially place Mike MacDonald’s squad among the elite teams in the NFC. The Seahawks aren’t sneaking up on anyone anymore—they’re a legitimate contender that should be mentioned in the same breath as the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
With a 6-2 record and a +81 point differential through eight games, Seattle has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in 2025. The dominance displayed against Washington wasn’t just convincing; it was a statement game that showcased the Seahawks’ complete superiority across all phases of football. This team has quietly assembled one of the most dangerous rosters in the conference, and it’s finally time to give them the respect they deserve at the elite level.
Sam Darnold put on one of the most spectacular performances of the 2025 season against the Commanders, completing 21 of 24 passes for 330 yards with four touchdowns and just one interception. More impressively, Darnold went 16-for-16 in the first half with 282 yards and four touchdown passes—a feat only accomplished by Tom Brady in the Patriots’ perfect 2007 season. The former New York Jet showed that signing with Seattle was one of the best decisions he could have made for his career.
What makes Darnold’s performance even more remarkable is the context surrounding his entire season. The three-year, $80 million contract he signed with the Seahawks raised eyebrows in the offseason, but through eight games, he’s looked like an absolute bargain. Darnold has accumulated 1,754 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and just four interceptions with a completion percentage that’s among the best in the league. He also didn’t take a single sack against Washington, showcasing the improved offensive line protecting him.
The comparison to Johnny Unitas is noteworthy—Darnold finished with over 325 passing yards, four touchdown passes, three or fewer incomplete passes, and zero sacks taken, joining only Unitas (1967) and Tom Brady (2007) in accomplishing this feat. This isn’t just good quarterback play; this is elite, MVP-candidate level performance. When your signal-caller is playing this well, playoff success becomes a genuine possibility.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba continues to put together one of the most historic seasons ever for a young receiver in the NFL, adding 129 receiving yards against Washington to reach 948 yards through eight games. JSN is now on pace for the first-ever 2,000-yard receiving season in NFL history if he maintains his current production through the season’s end. This 23-year-old has gone over 100 receiving yards in six of his eight games this season, tying Steve Largent’s Seahawks single-season record from 1979.
Smith-Njigba’s 948 yards are the most accumulated by any player under 25 years old in his first eight games of the season in NFL history, surpassing Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce’s 1995 rookie season total of...
