THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Alice — but not Seahawks — catching the attention of SI

There’s been a lot of rumblin’ and tumblin’ in the NFL lately. 

Teams that were giving away tickets (and finding few takers) in the very recent past are now talking about conference titles. 

It’s chaos. 

It’s fun. 

Sports Illustrated joins the party each week with a long, long look at the league — who’s up, who’s down, who’s crazy and so on. 

The product is titled “MMQB,” just to give the average fan a hint on which day of the week it’s published. 

Spoiler: It’s Monday. 

Since the MMQB turns up online, space is not a problem; in fact, this week’s song and dance contained eight stories on specific teams and players, plus a few notebook items on everything from water bottles to kicking tees. 

I thought about doing an exact word count in SI’s massive football version of “The Old Man and the Sea” — but I got a serious headache just imagining those numbers going up and up. 

Spoiler: There were a lot. 

Just in one week, actually, MMQB seemed to have touched on every squad and conference race — plus enough players to fill up several injured list. 

EXCEPT. 

One roster, and its current spot in the NFL universe, was missing entirely. 

I could have easily have whiffed a single reference buried someplace in a corner. 

Normally, that error would call for a brief apology, but in this case, there had to be thousands of words running through the various stories. 

There was a theme, too. 

It was simple to rock along with it. 

The Rams’ loss to Carolina changed the direction of both teams (and their stars), just for openers. 

The Bears’ fair-and-square thriller over the Commanders put recently downtrodden Chicago in command of the NFC North. 

On and on they rolled. 

New England (10-2) doesn’t seem to be missing Bill Belichick. 

SI’s writers managed to find every nook and cranny of an NFL which has clearly turned upside down. 

If you spent a year enjoyed an African safari, or learning the weather science at the South Pole, you wouldn’t recognize the NFL standings when you stepped off the plane back home. 

The Chiefs are struggling, and aren’t likely to catch Bo Nix and his Broncos — nor the Chargers, matter of fact. 

Surely, you’ve gotten the hint by now. 

It’s obvious. 

Sports Illustrated is telling us about Alice in Wonderland. 

“Read the directions, and directly you will be directed in the right direction.” 

AH, BUT the one place that SI’s writers missed was Seattle. 

You know, where the hosts just got done flogging Minnesota 26-0; where the Hawks have just three losses, all of which were decided on the final series of the game.                             

In all those stories about teams coming from bottom to top (and reverse), the fact that the Seahawks are perched in a tie atop the NFC West has disappeared into some sort of mist.

Sports Illustrated’s scribes found all manner of tale about the Rams — who have been favored in the division all along. 

Meanwhile, though, Seattle has assembled plenty of parts (especially on defense) that fit together so well that the Seahawks are scary. 

Linebacker Ernest Jones IV snagged two interceptions against the Vikings, his fourth and fifth of the year — despite having missed four games due to injuries. 

Coach Mike Macdonald has put together some magic in his second season, and it’s beginning to seem like those whispers that Mac is a defensive guru are true, indeed. 

Look, the Seahawks are no lock — for the division, conference or even the Super Bowl. 

But Alice came back from Wonderland with one absolute truth. 

The Seahawks ARE good enough to beat anyone. 

Now, they just have to do it. 

Email: [email protected] 

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens. 

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”