It's a very strange year. With only a couple of exceptions, almost all the pre-season favorites/darlings have shown some glaring weakness to them so far...
--Philly...they're just a schematic and psychological mess of a team now, in spite of their talent
--49ers...injury plagued and a QB controversy
--Bucs...looked hot and Baker an MVP candidate out of the gate, but then come quickly back down to earth
--Packers...look like they have everything going for them, but their offense suddenly becomes offensive
--Bills...did you really just get gob-smacked by the Dolphins?
--Ravens...everyone's SB darling...say no more
--Bengals...Burrow down again...hope gone...poof
--Chiefs...you fear them till they're knocked off...but 5-4?...and they may be fighting for a wild card spot?
--Texans...great D...but their offense had been a no-show
--Lions...get decisively beaten by the Packers and Chiefs...two of the teams supposedly standing in their way
The only preseason favorites/darlings who have held up their end of the bargain so far have been the Rams, possibly the Chargers, and the Eagles, but only by record, and they look like a mess otherwise.
That leaves the surprise teams: The Broncos, the Colts, the Patriots, and us, the Seahawks.
That's what makes this game coming up so interesting and exciting. The Rams are about the best looking team of the pre-season favorites/darlings, and we are, along with the Colts and Patriots, the most believable of the surprise teams.