Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Each week we ask questions of the most plugged-in NFL fans and fans across the country.
Entering the second half of the NFL Season, the Seattle
Seahawks currently have a 6-2 record. This record is good enough to be first in the NFC West and tied for the best record in the NFC. This record itself would be reason for many Seahawks fans to be optimistic that the team is headed in the right direction. However, for 99% of a fanbase to be confident that their team is headed in the right direction is quite a statement.
However, when you look at the strong 6-2 record and pair that with how the Seahawks have been winning, the 99% confidence would seem to make more sense. No one else across the SB Nation sites ranks higher than Seattle. Mike Macdonald has his defense on a roll, stifling every team (albeit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) they have faced. And Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have the offense as explosive as ever. How impressive has this Seahawks team been? They currently rank as the fourth-best DVOA-team ever for a team after eight games. With the vibes on the team’s overall direction at an all-time high, how much confidence will Seahawks fans have in the team’s ability to beat the Arizona Cardinals this upcoming week?
No surprise here, Seahawks fans are optimistic Seattle will jump to 7-2 after playing Arizona. Of the polled Seahawks fans, 97% believe the Seahawks will win, with 59% believing it will be by more than nine points. Seattle has seemed to have the better hand against the Cardinals lately, not having lost to Arizona since 2021. However, this Sunday the Seahawks will face new starting quarterback, Jacoby Brissett. Brissett has seemed to have the Cardinals offense in better sync compared to Kyler Murray this season, however, he has yet to face the Seahawks defense. Time will tell if the 97% of polled Seahawks fans will be correct or if Brissett can lead the upset and let the 3% of polled Seahawks fans come out on top.
A significant part of the Seahawks success this season has been Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is currently on pace for over 2,000 receiving yards. If Smith-Njigba maintained this pace, he would easily beat the all-time single season receiving yards record of 1,964 receiving yards held by Calvin Johnson. How many Seahawks fans think Smith-Njigba will be able to keep pace and beat Johnson’s record?
This result is a little tighter. Only 53% of polled Seahawks fans believe Smith-Njigba will break Johnson’s receiving yards record. Though this specific poll is a little closer to 50-50, the fact that the majority of fans still think that Smith-Njigba can break this record is very telling of how impressive this season is for Smith-Njigba.
Overall, if the Seahawks want to make noise in this year’s playoffs, that will require Smith-Njigba to continue his historic pace. Pair Smith-Njigba’s success with the way Darnold is slinging the ball, the offensive line providing actual pass protection, and an elite, top-five defense, it is not a surprise that nearly all Seahawks fans are confident in the direction the team is going.
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