As the Seattle Seahawks come out of their bye week, they are 5-2 and tied for second in the NFC West division. With the first half of their season behind them, a lot of questions have been answered.

Handing the keys to Sam Darnold has proved to be a great move for the franchise. He is in the top 10 in passing yards with just over 1,700 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. Currently, he has a career-best 68% completion percentage.  

The first two weeks were a little rough around the edges, but Darnold has settled into Seattle profoundly well. He protects the ball and puts it in the right places to bring home wins for the team. 

Even in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was at no fault of Darnold. With an 82% completion percentage, he threw for 341 passing yards, four touchdowns and only one interception. They wound up losing 38-35. Coming into that game, the Bucs were one of the hottest teams in the NFL and the result proved that.  

However, Darnold showed that he can step in big games and do his part, which was something that haunted him since the end of last season with the Vikings. Last season, the Darnold-led Minnesota Vikings lost their week 18 game and first-round playoff game by a combined total of 58-18.  

Given the current state of the NFC and the lack of separation within divisions like the NFC West, it’s likely these two teams will meet again in the playoffs, and the Darnold-led Seahawks will be ready.  

Forming a dangerous offense and connection alongside Darnold is Jaxon Smith-Njigba. As an Ohio State fan, I could sing his praise forever. When DK Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tyler Lockett left the team, it remained to be seen if Smith-Njigba was ready to step into the top receiver role for Seattle. It’s a question that just comes with the context of the situation, not because there were any doubts about his ability on the field.  

Last season, Smith-Njigba finished with over 1,100 yards receiving and six touchdowns. This year, he has flourished as the Seahawks' top receiver. He leads the league with 819 receiving yards and is sixth in receptions with 50. He has four touchdowns and will likely finish with more than his total last year by the end of the season. His freakish athleticism and agility make him a threat to any secondary that lines up across from him on Sundays.  

The Seahawks' defense is strong. So far this season, they have held teams to an average of 19 points per game. Ernest Jones has shone in his role as a linebacker. He has totaled 50 tackles, 30 of which were solo tackles, tied for third in interceptions with three, three tackles for loss and five pass deflections.  

As he holds down the middle of the field, Leonard Williams, Uchenna Nwosu, Demarcus Lawrence and Byron Murphy are getting their hands dirty in the trenches. The Seahawks' starting line and depth have them currently tied for fifth in the league in sacks with 23. Getting after the quarterback can shift the momentum of any game and has proven in the past to be a crucial element to finding yourself in the win column.  

There have been talks of the Seahawks making a move at the trade deadline, which is Nov. 1. Cornerback Tariq Woolen has been at the forefront of those conversations. However, I am not a fan of trading Woolen, even if his production has not been up to par with the last few seasons. He is still young for a cornerback and if put in the right role, can still make a difference for a team.  

The Seahawks should look at adding to their roster. If they want to sharpen their secondary, they should consider looking at free agents like Asante Samuel Jr or Stephon Gilmore. Neither are elite lockdown corners, but they can absolutely solidify a defense that may be on the verge of taking the next step.  

For the Seahawks to win their division, they will need to be ready to play the long game. They play two division games in November and two more in December. They will need to take care of business outside of their division to best position themselves to win the division in December. The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will likely be in the running for the division crown as well when the Seahawks meet with them.

These next two months of football are where playoff teams separate themselves from the outsiders. The Seahawks are a convincing playoff contender that looks poised to make a run. Time will tell when they face teams like the Vikings, Colts and division opponents if the Seahawks are ready to take the next step.  

If they continue to build on their successes this season, the Seahawks will enter the postseason with considerable momentum.