The Seattle Seahawks are set up to have another 2026 season, but one key metric indicates that they may dominant their schedule once again. Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders was one of the key figures to invent DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). It is a metric that compares every play to the league-average in that situation, which is also adjusted to the opponent. The Seattle Seahawks finished with the best DVOA in the 2025 season, which makes sense given how dominant they were during that season.
Schatz wrote, “Including the postseason, the 2025 Seahawks finished with the highest DVOA of any team since the 2007 Patriots. The top-12 teams by DVOA since 2010 finished with an average of 10.9 wins the following season (prorated for a 17-game season). However, these numbers are dragged down by two injury-riddled 49ers teams (2020 and 2024). Remove those teams, and the average is 11.9 wins.”
With the Seahawks set to return 20 of 22 starters from their Super Bowl roster, it makes sense to expect a 12 win season at least for Seattle. However, the Rams still are the favorite to win the Super Bowl, and the Seahawks regardless of their record will have to take them out of the picture.
Seattle Seahawks 2026 Season Set Up For Great Success
The Seattle Seahawks seem poised to threaten the NFL with back to back Super Bowl titles.
When the Seahawks won the Super Bowl in 2014, they were also the top team in DVOA that season, and Seattle fans know very well that they made it back to the Super Bowl. There are similar vibes with this roster, and as long as they can stay healthy, they should be able to at least challenge the Rams for the NFC Championship. That being said, this team has proven itself enough to not warrant any comparison. They are perhaps a much more complete roster than the 2014-15 Seahawks.
The 2014-15 Seahawks had some growing pains before taking off in the second half of the season. Percy Harvin was a problem on the field and in the locker room, which triggered his trade to the New York Jets. The team also lacked a number one receiver like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is a matchup nightmare. No disrespect to Doug Baldwin at all, who is one of the greatest Seahawks ever in his own right. However, the Seahawks in 2014 had an incredible running game, which the 2026 season may struggle to replicate. Jadarian Price should dictate the success of the running game next season until further notice.
An Elite Defense That Can Carry Its Performance Season to Season Proves All the Difference
The Seahawks’ elite defense should be the common denominator between these Super Bowl windows.
One key factor that links both of these teams together is that they both had elite defenses. Statistically, defensive quality year to year can yield plenty of variance, meaning that some regression is certainly possible. However, like the league saw with the 2014-15 Seahawks, great players can continue their play year to year in a sound defensive scheme. Coaching in a huge factor in that as well, and Mike MacDonald proves to be a forward thinking defensive mind game to game. The Seahawks have the talent and the staff to put 2025 behind them and aim at winning the third Super Bowl in franchise history.
Seattle Seahawks Should Expect to Dominate Because of This Metric