Seahawks are #1 in ESPN's Power Rankings (Week 1)

[Smelly McUgly]

That's nice, but I don't see it. This feels like a 10-6 team to me with an inconsistent offense (due to the OL needing to gel and weird playcalling sometimes) and a good, but declining defense.

But I appreciate the props nonetheless.

I think we're a better team than last year, which was a 10-6 team that lost games against St Louis, Cincinnati, Carolina and Arizona that they led with less than 5 minutes to go in the 4th quarter.

I'd say 10-6 is the absolute floor this year, as the schedule is about even with last year's, we still face Arizona, GB and Carolina, we have New England instead of Cincinatti, but nobody as tough at Pittsburgh, who we beat anyway.

I don't think the defense is better. We're worse up the middle, I think. Kam and Wagner don't look as good as they did two years ago, and they may be in decline.

The corner depth is bad, too. I think the secondary is actually a bit of a question mark. Not just Kam, but the guy playing across from Sherman.

In terms of the offense, it really depends. If the first-team offense had come out and diced up defenses in the preseason, that would be one thing, but they didn't. I anticipate that you'll say that they were tinkering and trying different stuff, and they likely were, but even that third game, which was the dress rehearsal, wasn't exactly confidence-inducing. The OL is probably better than last year, but the defense is probably worse, so it all offsets.

On the other hand, I would love to be proven to be too negative. I enjoy eating crow when it means that my team is doing well.

 

[rastahawk]

Hmmm I don't know. The Niners are ranked too high.

 

[kearly]

If Seattle isn't #1 then who else would be? Arizona? Carolina? New England? I don't see it.

I do think Green Bay will probably end the regular season at #1, because their schedule is a joke. Dallas has an easy sched as well so we have to watch out for them. But they are hardly the best teams.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

Pittsburgh is definitely better.

It hurt me to say that.

If someone argued that Arizona, Carolina, or New England was better, I'd probably accept their argument.

 

[themunn]

I don't think the defense is better. We're worse up the middle, I think. Kam and Wagner don't look as good as they did two years ago, and they may be in decline.

The corner depth is bad, too. I think the secondary is actually a bit of a question mark. Not just Kam, but the guy playing across from Sherman.

In terms of the offense, it really depends. If the first-team offense had come out and diced up defenses in the preseason, that would be one thing, but they didn't. I anticipate that you'll say that they were tinkering and trying different stuff, and they likely were, but even that third game, which was the dress rehearsal, wasn't exactly confidence-inducing. The OL is probably better than last year, but the defense is probably worse, so it all offsets.

On the other hand, I would love to be proven to be too negative. I enjoy eating crow when it means that my team is doing well.

It's not so much tinkering etc in preseason, but defenses always look better in preseason and I can't remember the last time our 1st team offense came out and tore it up in preseason in any case.

As for defense, last year ET missed all of preseason with injury, Kam held out until the 3rd game of the season, and Carey Williams was a starting cornerback. Yes, we've lost Mebane and Irvin, but hopefully the former's departure should be mitigated with Reed and McDaniel's return (not to mention he missed half of 2014 without us really missing a beat, and I say that as a big Mebane fan), and the latter's departure should hopefully allow a potentially better player in Frank Clark to play a larger part.

From top to bottom of the roster I can't really see any position where I can definitively say we were stronger last year - running back possibly as we went into the season with Lynch and Rawls exploded onto the scene, whereas this year there will be some question marks over Rawl's ankle, and Michael of course has flashed in preseason in the past and not translated that into regular season production, however I still couldn't say absolute hand on heart that last year's running backs were better (with the benefit of hindsight looking back on Lynch's production)

 

[brettb3]

That's nice, but I don't see it. This feels like a 10-6 team to me with an inconsistent offense (due to the OL needing to gel and weird playcalling sometimes) and a good, but declining defense.

But I appreciate the props nonetheless.

I think we're a better team than last year, which was a 10-6 team that lost games against St Louis, Cincinnati, Carolina and Arizona that they led with less than 5 minutes to go in the 4th quarter.

I'd say 10-6 is the absolute floor this year, as the schedule is about even with last year's, we still face Arizona, GB and Carolina, we have New England instead of Cincinatti, but nobody as tough at Pittsburgh, who we beat anyway.

I don't think the defense is better. We're worse up the middle, I think. Kam and Wagner don't look as good as they did two years ago, and they may be in decline.

The corner depth is bad, too. I think the secondary is actually a bit of a question mark. Not just Kam, but the guy playing across from Sherman.

In terms of the offense, it really depends. If the first-team offense had come out and diced up defenses in the preseason, that would be one thing, but they didn't. I anticipate that you'll say that they were tinkering and trying different stuff, and they likely were, but even that third game, which was the dress rehearsal, wasn't exactly confidence-inducing. The OL is probably better than last year, but the defense is probably worse, so it all offsets.

On the other hand, I would love to be proven to be too negative. I enjoy eating crow when it means that my team is doing well.

I see zero evidence that the defense is worse. The core are all squarely in their primes. Wagner looked great in the preseason. Chancellor hardly played, but unlike last year he's been there throughout training camp. I'm not going to assume a decline until we see it in regular season games.

 

[DavidSeven]

Pittsburgh is definitely better.

Can't say I agree. I'm fine with considering them favorites in the AFC, but that team has as many question marks as anyone else. Martavis is out for the season. Le'veon Bell is suspended and hurt. And their new, expensive TE may never play a snap for them. Secondary is still a liability.

They will be good because Ben/Antonio will put up points anyway, the OL is great and they have solid front 7. But the weaponry is not the same as last year, and Ben is still a risk to get hurt at any given time.

 

[Seymour]

What happened to that East Coast Bias theory we used to sling towards ESPN for years?

Times, they sure have changed.

That shows up on #2 and #3.