Another week, and another victory for the Seattle Seahawks. In the event you haven’t noticed because you are too busy watching videos about people licking melted chocolate off of each other’s toes, wins are beginning to become a standard for Seattle. They are winners of four in the row, and are sitting atop a tight NFC West Division at 8-5.

A month ago, they lost a close game at home against the LA Rams, fell to 4-5, and it felt all but certain that their season would be lost. At that time, I started bracing for writing articles about whether or not Seattle should bench Geno Smith in favor of Sam Howell, whether they should trade DK Metcalf in the offseason, and whether or not they made the right coaching hire with Mike Macdonald. In hindsight, I am glad that I held off on all of those.

The other week, I asserted my deep belief in Macdonald, and it is now a belief that is only growing stronger. With this win against Arizona, a team that many national talking heads felt would win this rematch, I feel like Seattle has, indeed, found a coach who has the potential to be well ahead of the competition in terms or strategy, and execution.

Without using a bunch of football jargon, I just get a sense that Macdonald is figuring out with his defense how to match each opponent they play, and he will adjust scheme accordingly. It is fitting the he spent his early childhood in Boston watching the Patriots because the one head coach who I would now comp him to is Bill Belichick minus the grumpy demeanor.

In terms of example, against Arizona, Macdonald’s D seems to have very detailed plan for how to limit Kyler Murray. His rush plan for using his defensive ends to not allow Murray to do his Sonic The Hedgehog type things on the perimeters should be studied by others. Last week, against Aaron Rodgers, he found ways to take away what Rodgers prefers to do as a passer. A few weeks ago, against the 49ers, he seemed to be well inside Kyle Shanahan’s run game playbook.

I did not watch this game against the Cardinals, but I caught a key moments version of it afterwards. I would have loved to have seen it in its entirety, but I had a very special event to attend. So, for what it is worth here is my overriding thought about this game, and moving forward with the Seahawks this year in the final month of games.

It is entirely okay for you to start getting excited about this team now. I give you permission.

I get it if you are reluctant to climb on board, and you need to see more. They still have to play the Rams again, and also have a couple tough games left at home against the Packers, and Vikings.

While it frustrates me a bit why there seems to be some continued fan apathy for this team, and I want to point out that Seattle is only one of the few teams in the league that continually play meaningful football in December for well over a decade now, I also sorta get it. I think this is a fanbase that has gotten spoiled, and simply being competitive for the playoffs isn’t enough. Also, Seattle doesn’t have a marquee quarterback who will move a lot of needles for the average fan as some other teams have, and while I think there are a handful of teams who would probably take Geno Smith right now, a decade of Russell Wilson has also spoiled this fanbase.

Still, I think it is now time for the fair weather folks to climb back on board with this club, and just enjoy what they have been able to do this last month, and how they might finish this season. Over the past month, they beat a 49er team who was in the Super Bowl last year and just murdered the Bears, they swept the improved Arizona Cardinals, and they found a way to win on the road against the Jets despite shitting all over themselves on special teams. A year ago, they would have lost that game in New Jersey, badly.

Seattle may not win the division this year. They have a tougher final stretch of games in front of them than the Rams do, and it feels possible that they will have to beat the Rams down in LA at the end of the season in order to secure the division. While the Rams do not have Aaron Donald anymore, they still have Matthew Stafford and all those fancy weapons that Sean McVay loves to use. Personally, though, with the way Seattle is now playing, I cannot wait for this matchup to close the season, and I cannot wait for future seasons to come.

I think Seattle is trending very positively, on the whole. I’m getting really excited now, and I invite you to join the party.

In this game against Arizona, the Seattle offensive line felt more settled it, finally, and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb felt more dialed into his playbook. Defenses have adjusted to his tendencies of throwing deep over the past month, offering for two deep shell looks, and in this game against the Cardinals, Grubb finally got Seattle successfully countering it with a strong commitment to the run and using runners as receivers in the flats. He had this offense ready to play against a good run stopping AZ defense that also came in ready to limit DK Metcalf. He got coordinated counter runs going, and it was glorious. Now he has given defensive coordinators something else to think about in terms of targeting any of his potential tendencies.

It is imperative for the wellness of this franchise that Grubb and his offensive line coach Scott Huff grow to how NFL defenses play against them as opposed to what they saw in college at UW, and that they can be answers to the riddle of making this team great again instead of being two coaches that they will need to replace. The most important thing in this decisive win against AZ is that they seem to be stepping up as coaches, and this is HUGE for this team moving forward.

In all of that, I also love the way Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh ran decisively and hard. This was an important game for Charbonnet to answer the call with Ken Walker down, and it is really encouraging that he delivered as a runner and receiver. At UW, Grubb had a physical playmaking runner in Dillion Johnson that he leaned on when he needed to run, and I think Charbonnet fits that mold. I want to see more of it during this last stretch of games.

Many fans have been bemoaning Charbonnet, but I was excited to see him get this start. I haven’t been fully happy with Ken Walker, lately. I know K9 has big play potential, but I have just felt for a while that he wasn’t attacking holes very hard, and had become more indecisive as a runner. Perhaps it is because he hasn’t been healthy, and fans can certainly blame a poor offensive line, but sometimes, you just got to hit it as a runner, and this had felt less of a thing for his willingness to do, perhaps.

Enter Charbonnet and McIntosh, and rookie sixth round steel Sataoa Laumea. I get it if Charbonnet is your player of the game, but for my money, it is Laumea at right guard who offered solid pass protection, and athleticism kicking out on counter runs, stoning linebackers and defensive ends.

After this game against Arizona, I want to see Charbonnet and McIntosh more involved. I want to turn on the heat behind K9. My hope is that K9 will look at the tape of this game, and he will take it to heart to mimic their efforts. K9 is, by far, the most physically talented runner on this team, but in a league full of tough defenses, offenses need runners willing to be physical, especially with spotty offensive lines.

Charbonnet and McIntosh feel like those type of guys now that this offensive line is settling in better with its blocking scheme. Seattle will need this to continue for the next four games. If it does, I do think that they can win this division, and if K9 gets healthy enough, and takes to heart some hard decisive running on his own, then watch out. Seattle could be the surprise team of the league should they make the playoffs.

In fact, after this game, I think Seattle can beat any team left on their schedule. I absolutely believe they can. Why not?

Geno Smith is playing more efficient and protective with the ball, lately, and being a good game manager with these perimeter weapons is a more important secret sauce than any hero ball that he might have been plagued with a month ago. Sataoa Laumea feels like a guy who is the answer at right guard instead of the fill in. JSN continues to prove to be an ascending wide receiver. Big Cat Williams and others feel dominant on the defensive line, and Seattle is now getting very solid linebacker play to go along with their deep secondary. For as good as Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen are as corners, and Coby Bryant and Jullian Love feel as safeties, Ernest Jones and Tyrice Knight are becoming a dynamic linebacking duo together.

Yeah, man. Seattle can do some damage.

I am looking more forward to these remaining four games that I can remember in recent years, and this is still with a belief that Seattle is still likely another season or two away from being a true contender.

So, I will just say that maybe now more fans should start jumping on board. Go ahead. Go for the plunge of positivity. What is the worst that can happen?

A month ago, Mike Macdonald got this defense turned around, and now maybe after this game against the Cards, Grubb is finally getting the offense settled back in. I am excited to see if that can be the case. I think it could be!

I am not expecting perfection. I don’t need all these games to be neat and tidy. I just really want to see them land at least a couple more wins, and I think that they can.

Do you?

Go Hawks.