The Seahawks are 7-2 and on a four-game winning streak just past the midway point of the season, placing themselves right in the thick of things in the NFC playoff picture.

The Seahawks are well ahead of where they were a year ago when they had a 4-5 record midway through their first season under Mike Macdonald. But now is not the time for the Seahawks to focus on what they've done so far, but rather on the process that needs to take place in order to keep playing at a high level.

"That was like a lifetime ago. It's just a whole new team," Macdonald said when asked about his team's improvement since the middle of last season. "I haven't taken a step back to say where we are because it really doesn't matter where we're at right now. What really matters is that we had an awesome team meeting, we had a great lift, and we had a great meeting. OK, now we have got to go put a great game plan together. Then on Wednesday, we've got to go have a great first and second down install, we've got to execute at a high level, and we've got to fix it. That's where our mind is at right now."

But while coaches and players don't have time to take a step back and reflect, we here at Seahawks.com are going to do just that, taking a look back at some of the players, plays and moments that stood out from the half(ish) of the 2025 season.

Important disclaimer: These are very unofficial honors selected by a writer who might not really know what he's talking about, so please take all of this with a grain of salt.

Offensive MVP: QB Sam Darnold

You can make a compelling argument for receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (more on him below), but when the way Darnold is playing in his first season with the Seahawks, he not only is the team's MVP; he also deserves to be in the conversation for that award league-wide if the Seahawks keep winning.

Darnold ranks second in the NFL among qualified quarterbacks with a 116.5 passer rating, and leads the league in both yards per attempt (9.0) and yards per completion (14.0). Pro Football Focus has Darnold as its top graded quarterback with a 93.1 grade, as does ESPN's Total QBR (77.6). And NFL Next Gen Stats has Darnold as the league's leader in Expected Points Added per drop back (.24).

"Sam's execution right now, it's just ridiculous," Macdonald said after Darnold went 16 for 16 with four touchdowns in the first half of Seattle’s Week 9 win in Washington. "All the things we talked about that he's been doing—decisive, making smart decisions.

"Believe me when I say, I'm not surprised. We watched Sam every day on how he operates, and he's the same guy every day, which is what you love about him."

Defensive MVP: DE Leonard Williams

The beauty of Macdonald's defense is that they're getting big contributions out of so many different players. This isn't a group relying heavily on one standout or two to carry the load, so it can be a bit difficult to single out one player in such an impressive collective effort.

But with that disclaimer out of the way, the choice is defensive lineman Leonard Williams, one of the veteran leaders of a dominant defensive front. Williams, who was a Pro-Bowl selection last year in his first full season with the Seahawks, is having another strong year with 37 tackles, 5.0 sacks, five tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hits midway through the year, but those numbers don't begin to show the impact he has on the entire defense. Williams' ability to be a game-wrecker in the run and passing game forces teams to account for him wherever he lines up, which in turn creates opportunities for his teammates to make plays. Other defensive linemen around the league have better numbers than Williams this season, but it's hard to argue that anyone affects an opposing offense on a play-to-play defense more than the Big Cat.

Special Teams MVP: K Jason Myers

Myers made his 176th field goal last weekend to break Stephen Hauschka's franchise record for field goals made, and he's enjoying another strong season, making 17 of 21 field goals, including four from 50-plus yards, as well as all 32 extra points. But what has made Myers even more valuable this year is his work on kickoffs, which have become a much more significant play the past two years since the league overhauled the play. With touchbacks now coming out to the 35 yard line, teams are avoiding kicking the ball deep in the end zone, and Myers has been excellent at placing kicks deep in the landing zone but not in the end zone. Myers also has several kicks this season that opponents have had a hard time fielding because they bounce in front of returners, most notably a kick in Pittsburgh that stopped in the end zone where George Holani recovered it for a Seahawks touchdown.

Through Week 10, Seahawks opponents' average starting field position following a kickoff is the 26.7-yard line, which ranks second in the NFL behind only Carolina (26.2). And of course, Seattle's kick coverage unit deserves a ton of credit for that stat, but so too does Myers for the placement and variety of his kickoffs.

"There's no such thing as true hang time anymore," Macdonald said. "Hang time is really how fast the returner can get going. Whether the ball is on the ground or if you're kicking it and the guy's going backwards, there's a little bit more artistry to it. Jason's doing a great job with that, and it's really giving us an edge."

Offensive Player Of The First Half: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

As mentioned earlier, Smith-Njigba would have a great case for MVP if not for Darnold's standout play, but he is very deserving of recognition after an insane start to the season. The third-year receiver not only leads the NFL in receiving by a large margin with 1,041 yards, he on a pace that could see him threaten Calvin Johnson's single-season receiving record (1,964).

Smith-Njigba has eclipsed 100 yards in six of nine games, and went over 90 yards in two others, and he is just the third receiver in the Super Bowl era to have over 75 yards in each of the first nine games of a season. Smith-Njigba also set a franchise record with four consecutive 100-yard games, and his six 100-yard games have him tied with Hall of Famer Steve Largent for the most in a season in franchise history.

But where Smith-Njigba stands out most is his efficiency. With Darnold helping lead the most explosive passing game in the NFL, Smith-Njigba his putting up huge numbers despite not seeing the volume of targets often associated with the type of numbers he is putting up. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Smith-Njigba is averaging 4.8 yards per route run this season, the highest mark, by a large margin, since Next Gen Stats began tracking that data in 2016. Next on the list is Tyreek Hill, who average 4.0 yards per route run on his way to 1,799 yards in 2023, and after those two, no player has average more than 3.7 yards per route run.

Best Rookie, Offense: G Grey Zabel

Zabel stepped into the starting job at left guard pretty much as soon as he arrived in Seattle, and the first-round pick out of North Dakota State has been rock solid throughout his rookie season. Zabel has not allowed a sack this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats, and is allowing a pressure rate of just 3.3, which is the fifth lowest among offensive linemen league wide. In other words, Zabel isn't just having a solid rookie season, he is already emerging as one of the league's elite interior linemen.

"Grey's just a great locker room guy," quarterback Sam Darnold said. "That's where it starts. He's a great guy, someone you want to be around, first and foremost. And then on the field, I know that he's going to have my back. He's going to have every single one of his teammates back, and it's incredible to play with a guy like that. As a rookie, I feel like he's got such great poise, and I could say that about all five of our offensive linemen that have been playing this year. Shoot, even Josh (Jones), that comes in for certain situations down near the goal line and short yardage. All of our entire offensive line room is very poised, and they understand certain situations, how to take advantage of certain techniques and all the fundamental things that John Benton and Rico (Rick Dennison) talk about all the time. Our offensive line has grown so much, and I think it's because of how they've grown together in that chemistry in that room."

Best Rookie, Defense: S Nick Emmanwori

Emmanwori missed almost all of the opener and the next three games due to a high ankle sprain, but he has come back from that injury playing great football while establishing himself as a key part of Seattle's defense. The second-round pick has played more than 90 percent of Seattle's defensive snaps over the past four games, and is up to 32 tackles, four tackles for loss, six passes defensed and half a sack for the season.

"Nick had a great game," Macdonald said Sunday after Emmanwori had nine tackles and four passes defensed in a win over the Cardinals. "We're moving him from two different spots right now and thinking about maybe another spot. There's attention to detail on those things. It's easy to call a lot of the things that we're putting him into because you have a lot of confidence in him being able to execute those things, and there's room for improvement."

Best Rookie, Special Teams: WR Tory Horton

In a lot of seasons, Horton would be the midseason offensive rookie of the year as well, considering that he has five touchdown receptions, a total that has him tied with Smith-Njigba for the most on the team. Zabel's standout play allows him to edge out Horton, a fifth-round pick out of Colorado State, but Horton's contributions to the offense are still noteworthy.

And in addition to his significant role at receiver, Horton has also made a big difference on special teams as Seattle's punt returner. Despite missing one game due to injury, Horton ranks third in the NFL in punt return yards with 238, and fifth in average yards per return at 14.9. Most notably, Horton had a 95-yard punt return earlier this season that was the longest in franchise history.

Best Newcomer Not Named Sam Darnold: OLB DeMarcus Lawrence

Cooper Kupp, the pick here after the first quarter of the season, would be worth of midseason honors as well, but instead we're giving the slight edge to outside linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence, who has been a big part of Seattle's defensive success.

Lawrence has provided both playmaking and veteran leadership since signing with the Seahawks in free agency following an 11-year career in Dallas. Lawrence has 25 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, 11 quarterback hits, and most impressively, a pair of fumble return touchdowns, both of which occurred in the first half of last weekend's win over Arizona, helping him earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

"You've got to have an elite process, the great ones do, the great teams do, and you're always attack how you can make that process just a little bit better all the time," Macdonald said. "You don't have to reinvent anything, every day is just the same mental approach, and that's what D-Law does. It's a great example for the guys."

Best Play, Offense: Sam Darnold 43-yard TD pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Cardinals

Darnold and Smith-Njigba have connected on so many deep passes this season, including a 61-yard strike against the Jaguars in Week 6. There have also been big catches in clutch situations, including a long sideline grab that set up a game winning field goal in a Week 4 win in Arizona. But for all of the big plays those two have created this year, perhaps the most impressive was Darnold's 43-yard touchdown pass to Smith-Njigba in Seattle's Week 10 win over the Cardinals. That play, which came on the opening drive of the game, helped set the tone in what turned into a blowout victory, and it also showed off both Darnold's ridiculous arm talent as well as Smith-Njigba's ability to track and make a play on a contested deep ball. Rolling to his left, Darnold threw the ball from about Seattle's 46-yard line, and despite being on the move without fully setting his feet, he hit Smith-Njigba in stride at the goal line, with the third-year receiver perfectly using his body to shield a cornerback who was in decent position as the ball arrived.

Best Play(s), Defense: Tyrice Knight & DeMarcus Lawrence team up for a pair of defensive touchdowns.

Tyrice Knight sacked Jacoby Brissett not once but twice on blitzes during Seattle's Week 10 win over the Cardinals, and he was ablet to knock the ball free both times just before Brissett's arm started moving forward. Making the two similar plays really noteworthy, however, was the fact that DeMarcus Lawrence was there to not only recover both fumbles, but to also return them both for touchdowns.

Best Play, Special Teams: Tory Horton's 95-Yard Punt Return Touchdown

The Seahawks accomplished the rare feat of scoring on a kickoff, with George Holani recovering a loose ball in the end zone that the Steelers failed to field, and they also had a turnover that set up a score, Brandon Pili's forced fumble on a Commanders kick return. But the best of many big plays for the Seahawks' special teams units this season was Horton's punt return, which featured great blocking as well plenty of dynamic playmaking from the rookie.

Unsung Hero: LB Drake Thomas

The Seahawks' acquisition of Thomas was not one that garnered a ton of attention prior to the 2023 season. Thomas, an undrafted rookie out of North Carolina State that year, had a strong preseason with the Raiders, but was waived as part of their roster cuts, with the Seahawks claiming him, making Thomas' acquisition one of the hundreds of moves made in the days leading up to the start of the season. Injuries limited Thomas to seven games that season, then in 2024 he was a special teams standout, but played only 37 snaps on defense in 17 games.

This season, however, Thomas used a strong training camp to earn more playing time, starting the season as a backup linebacker while splitting time with starter Tyrice Knight. Eventually, however, Thomas took over the starting job at weakside linebacker, and has fully taken advantage of that opportunity. Despite opening the season in a backup role, Thomas is up to a team-leading eight tackles for loss, all of which have come in the last six games, and he also has 46 tackles, six passes defensed and 3.0 sacks. That combination of tackles for loss, passes defensed and sacks has only been matched by two other players in the league, a pair of standout edge rushers: Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns.

"I think it's elite preparation," Macdonald said when asked about Thomas' play this season. "It allows him to be decisive in those moments, and when you see it, go let it rip. There's a lot of things that go into a couple of those plays, that are some pre-snap processing, that he's doing at a really high level, and not a lot of people can do that, and it lets him play that fast, so it's really cool."

Trend to continue: Dominance by the defensive front.

The Seahawks have a 7-2 record and one of the league's best defenses for a lot of reasons, but arguably the biggest reason for their success on that side of the ball has been the play of the defensive line and outside linebackers.

The Seahawks have been one of the hardest teams in the league to run against, holding opponents to just 3.7 yards per rush attempt, which ranks third in the NFL, and they have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 18 consecutive games, the second longest streak in the league.

And as good as the run defense has been, the pass rush might be even better. The Seahawks are tied for second in the NFL with 32 sacks and, per NFL Next Gen Stats, have a pressure rate of 40.4 percent, but they're doing that while blitzing at the second-lowest rate in the league (19.4 percent). For perspective, the other three teams in the NFL with 30 or more sacks are blitzing at least 30 percent of the time, and the other four teams in the top five of pressure rate are also blitzing on more than 30 percent of opponent drop backs.

Trend to improve upon: Turnovers on offense.

As impressive as the Seahawks have been on offense—they rank third in the league in scoring and ninth in yards—one area of concern has been a lack of ball security. The Seahawks have played only one turnover-free game this season, and after committing three turnovers after taking a commanding lead in Week 10, the Seahawks are up to 16 this season, tied for second most in the NFL. A lot of those turnovers have been relatively inconsequential because of the big leads the Seahawks have built in a lot of games, but two proved very costly, with both of Seattle's two losses coming to down potential game-winning drives that ended on turnovers.

"The ball has been in jeopardy too often, offensively, and that's something we need to focus on moving forward," Macdonald said.

The Seahawks have been great on offense so far this season, but if they can cut back on the turnovers and get out of their own way, they have the scheme and talent to be truly elite.