A weekly examination of the Seahawks' ESPN.com Power Ranking:
Preseason: 1 | Last Week: 1 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002
Not much doubt about the Seahawks keeping their top spot in the Power Rankings this week since the top three teams behind them -- Denver, New Orleans and New England -- all lost.
The 12-2 Seahawks, however, likely would have stayed on top even if all three of those teams had won. Seattle’s defense posted its first shutout of the season in a 23-0 road victory over the New York Giants. It was the first road shutout for Seattle since the Super Bowl season of 2005.
The Seahawks can clinch the NFC West title and home-field advantage in the playoffs if they defeat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Century Link Field. But the Cardinals are a surprising 9-5, having won six of their last seven games since losing to Seattle 34-22 in Arizona two months ago.
The Cardinals moved up to eighth in this week’s Power Rankings and go to Seattle with hopes of staying in the playoff picture. The Seahawks are hoping to earn a 15th consecutive home victory.