The NFC West is bad again this year, and despite an 0-2 record, the Seattle Seahawks are just one game out of first place. It appears, once again, that the division will come down to the best of the worst, with all four teams battling it out with pillows throughout the year. But if this week's NFL power rankings are any indication, the Seattle Seahawks are closer to the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft than the playoffs.
The Seahawks have come out and fallen all over themselves in the first two weeks of the season and it shows in the latest NFL power rankings from SB Nation. A loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, thanks to a spectacular fourth quarter collapse, and a shutout loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers this past weekend, the Seahawks are falling fast.
29. Seattle Seahawks (0-2, LW: 23): They're blowing a great opportunity to return to the playoffs.
On the other side of the coin, Seattle took advantage of the great opportunity last season, dropping the St. Louis Rams in the final game of the season to earn a playoff spot, then taking out the New Orleans Saints in a playoff game that none of us will soon forget. So in a way, Seattle may have been playing with house money.
It is sad to face the reality that this may be a throwaway year, just two weeks into the season. But considering the play of the team and some of its flaws, Seattle may be in the race for a top-10 draft pick, and the season could be frustratingly bad.
For the full set of power rankings, head over here. For the latest on the Seahawks, head over to SB Nation's Field Gulls.