Entering the final month of the season, the Seahawks hope to have a fully healthy Julian Love rolling into the playoffs. But the stellar play from his replacement over the past two months has created quite the luxury for the team as the Pro Bowler eases back into action.

Prior to Sunday, Nick Emmanwori had battled a case of the close calls, coming up just short on sacks, interceptions, and blocked field goals. But in Atlanta, his fortunes changed across the board in a once-in-a-lifetime performance for the Seahawks rookie.

Tied atop the NFC standings, the rich will get richer on defense with the Seahawks set to bring back two key veteran standouts for the final five games.

Forcing five turnovers while racking up a bunch of sacks and pressures along the way, the Seahawks didn’t let the Vikings find their comfort zone with a rookie quarterback under center, punishing the opposition to move into a three-way tie for the NFC’s best record.

Sporting 90s throwbacks as if he never left, Quandre Diggs will be back in a Seahawks uniform for Sunday’s home battle against the Vikings, while another familiar local star may have a shot to make his team debut after quite the backfield shuffle.

One of only a handful of multi-time Pro Bowl safeties in Seahawks history, “Nino” looks primed to come back to the Emerald City to provide much-needed insurance in the secondary for Mike Macdonald’s defense.

Entering Sunday’s road tilt as heavy favorites against the one-win Titans, the Seahawks should have several advantageous matchups working in their favor, though the underdogs may have a big one to lean on with the visitors dealing with offensive line injuries.

Racing out to 7-2 starts, the Seahawks and Rams have been stingy allowing points to opponents with ferocious defensive lines, underrated linebackers, and versatile secondaries. Where does each team hold an edge going into Sunday’s first matchup at SoFi Stadium?

Evident again on Sunday with multiple reserves contributing in a 22-point beatdown of the Cardinals, from the starting quarterback to the latest practice squad signing, the Seahawks continue to embody the principles of their coach as they emerge as a top contender.

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.

Scoring 31 points before halftime, the Seahawks’ offense set Northwest Stadium on proverbial fire behind a historic night from Sam Darnold, leading to an easy blowout primetime victory over the Commanders.

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.

While the Seahawks won’t be quite at full strength in the secondary for Sunday night’s clash with the Commanders, Mike Macdonald will have to navigate a potentially tricky situation with two of the team’s best weapons playing together for the first time since Week 1.

Just outside the top five in scoring defense, the Seahawks have lived up to expectations in Mike Macdonald’s second season in many regards, but Ernest Jones and company still have a ways to go to play up to their high standards.

Stifling the Texans’ offense from the outset, the Seahawks received strong contributions from all three levels of their defense to land a fifth win in six games. Who stood out the most in an eight point win over Houston on Monday Night Football?

Winning five of their past six games, the Seahawks still remain under the radar for some national outlets. But after their latest win on Monday Night Football, that narrative may be changing as Mike Macdonald’s squad stays in the hunt in a highly competitive NFC West.

Even as injuries mounted over the past month, with one blemish as an exception in Week 5, the Seahawks have kept momentum rolling with a top-five defense, further evidenced by stars and role players alike shining under the prime time lights against the Texans.

Prior to the season, Mike Macdonald lauded the Seahawks depth at cornerback and safety. But as the injuries continue to pile up, that depth will be further challenged against an upstart Jaguars squad on Sunday.

Losing a shootout to the Buccaneers last week, the Seahawks have already been burned by one of Liam Coen’s former proteges under center. Now, with a banged-up secondary, they’ll be tasked to stop history from repeating itself against Trevor Lawrence.

Winding up on the wrong end of a shootout on Sunday, the Seahawks allowed nearly 400 passing yards to Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, leaving Mike Macdonald searching for answers. Looking at 10 explosive pass plays allowed, what went wrong defensively?