A top-five scoring offense and scoring defense has propelled the Seahawks to the top of the NFC standings. But as evidenced again in Atlanta on Sunday, the third phase of the game may be the reason why Seattle belongs in the Super Bowl contender tier.

In the midst of a lengthy slump with turnovers and sacks stacking in bunches, Sam Darnold pivoted to the most underrated part of his game to get back on track as the Seahawks blitzed the Falcons in the second half on Sunday.

After already missing the previous two games, the Seahawks will be without their standout rookie playmaker for at least another month as he continues to battle through a shin injury.

The Seahawks may not have been inclined to ease Rashid Shaheed into action anyway, but thanks to a litany of injuries, there won’t be any training wheels as his new team has no choice but to fully unleash him five days after arriving from the Saints.

Throwing four touchdowns in the first half, Sam Darnold deserved all the flowers leading the Seahawks to a blowout win in Landover. But with injuries on both sides of the ball, it was a complete team win with no shortage of standouts shining under the lights.

Spearheaded by an all-world performance by Sam Darnold, the Seahawks showed no rust coming out of their bye week, racing out to a 24-point lead on the road in prime time.

Closer to full strength in the secondary, the Seahawks will be challenged by Jayden Daniels’ mobility, while the chance to awaken an inconsistent run game may present itself for the visitors in prime time against a Commanders defense that has endured plenty of struggles thus far.

Headlined by Julian Love’s prolonged absence, early half a dozen players were ruled out by the Seahawks two days before kickoff, a sign that more moves could be coming in the next 24 hours as the team gears up for a tough road contest against the Commanders.

Though he’s ramped up his activity at practice, Uchenna Nwosu won’t be ready to suit up for the Seahawks in Sunday’s opener, while two veteran wideouts will also be held out against the 49ers.

The Seahawks have selected their initial 53-man roster with 27 offensive players, 23 defensive players, and three specialists, including a trio of undrafted rookies. Which positions look most regular season ready and where could more moves be on tap in coming days?

When he has been gifted the chance to play, Cody White has been impressive for the Seahawks, but it hasn’t led to further opportunities. Will that change now that DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett have left town?

Only so much can be learned about an NFL team in non-padded practices, but that doesn’t mean some questions about the Seahawks weren’t answered over the past three weeks during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, including having a ways to go for the offense to level up to the defense.

As the Seahawks wind down their offseason program with a two-day minicamp, teammates have come to learn a few surprises in regard to Sam Darnold, while the defense’s quick start has been anything but unexpected.

With two of the biggest stars in franchise history now gone, the Seahawks will start anew at receiver with several quality veterans and a pair of incoming draft picks set to duke it out for reps behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp this spring.