Seahawks rank ninth with Bleacher Report, sixth with ESPN after Denver loss
Two Week 7 rankings offer different assessments of Seattle after its overtime loss to Denver, while both point to problems on offense.
The Seattle Seahawks entered Week 7 at 3-3 after a 17-14 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos. Seahawks Wire reported on October 20 that Bleacher Report ranked Seattle ninth in its latest NFL power rankings. ESPN placed the team sixth in its separate Week 7 rankings, down from fourth on ESPN’s list the previous week.
The rankings are editorial assessments of a team that has lost consecutive games. Seahawks Wire did not give Seattle’s previous position on Bleacher Report’s list, so the size of any move in that ranking is unclear. ESPN’s fourth-to-sixth change applies only to ESPN’s own list.
Why Bleacher Report ranked Seattle ninth
Seahawks Wire quoted Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox as saying backfield injuries had hindered Seattle’s running game. The team was averaging 3.9 yards per carry, Knox said, allowing opponents to focus more attention on pressuring quarterback Sam Darnold.
Knox also pointed to Darnold’s seven interceptions in fewer than five full games and described Seattle as playing catch-up in the NFC West. His assessment tied the offense’s difficulties to both the limited running game and mistakes in the passing game.
Against Denver, Darnold completed 27 of 51 passes for 278 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions, according to Seahawks Wire. His second interception came in overtime. Seattle’s defense limited Denver after halftime, but the Seahawks could not turn that into a win.
ESPN identifies turnovers as Seattle’s biggest offensive issue
ESPN’s NFL Nation analysis identified turnovers as the leading problem for Seattle’s offense under first-year coordinator Brian Fleury. The Seahawks had committed 12, the third-most among NFL offenses, ESPN reported. It also cited an underwhelming running game and problems with pass protection.
ESPN said Darnold had thrown seven interceptions in four games since returning from a glute injury, while Seattle had lost five fumbles. That breakdown puts the quarterback’s mistakes within a wider pattern of giveaways across the offense.
Ten of the Seahawks’ 12 turnovers came in their three losses, which were decided by a combined eight points, ESPN reported. Opponents scored 44 points off those takeaways. Those figures explain why ESPN singled out possession of the ball even while placing Seattle three spots above Bleacher Report’s ranking.
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Sources and context
- Seahawks slide in Bleacher Report’s latest power rankings for Week 7Seahawks Wire (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- NFL Power Rankings: How all 32 teams stack up for Week 7, plus offensive issuesESPN, NFL Nation
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.