The Seattle Seahawks won their third consecutive game on Sunday, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 37-9 thanks to a monster 31-3 second half scoring margin. Tied at six coming out of the locker room, trade deadline acquisition Rashid Shaheed got Seattle off the mat with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Shaheed has mostly played special teams and contributed minimally as a receiver. But Sunday's game looks like a positive step forward for a guy whose speed could increase the weekly ceiling of the Seahawks offense.

My Hottest Take: Rashid Shaheed will be worth the trade

The NFL trade deadline is often more eye candy than anything of substance. It’s difficult for players to switch teams in November, pick up a new playbook, and immediately contribute to winning football. You’ll occasionally get home run deals like the Philadelphia Eagles' move for Jaelen Phillips, but those are few and far between. Giving up 2026 fourth- and fifth-round picks for Shaheed wasn’t nothing. After four games with a total receiving line of 4-37, it looked like Seattle was yet another team with a trade deadline miss, but Shaheed came on strong against Atlanta, with the previously mentioned kick return touchdown and four catches for 67 yards.

Seattle wants a field-stretching receiver on the outside to keep defenses honest when trying to cover Jaxon Smith-Njigba. It’s what Klint Kubiak tried to acquire with the Marques Valdes-Scantling in the offseason, but he didn’t have enough juice left. Shaheed is only going to keep getting more involved, and he should be Seattle’s second-best receiver by the time the playoffs start, if not sooner.

What You Need To Know: Should Seattle re-sign Boye Mafe?

Boye Mafe is likely Seattle’s biggest impending free agent, with his rookie deal set toexpireafter the season. Mafe has had a solid career in Seattle so far, with 19 sacks in 3.5 years and PFF run defense grades that range from 61.3 to 77.8. He’s a solid player who has grown alongside the rest of the Seahawks' defensive front and helped turn it into the elite unit it is today, but Seattle has added depth to the position. Uchenna Nwosu also occupies a spot on the edge, and he’s put quarterbacks on the turf eight times this season compared to just one for Mafe. Derrick Hall only has two sacks, but his 18% pass-rush win rate dwarfs Mafe’s 10.4%. Finally, Damarcus Lawrence has had a resurgent season with seven sacks of his own, despite his age.

Mafe feels like the odd man out here, and that’s without mentioning Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy on the inside, the latter of the two likely being due a large extension within the next calendar year. Mafe is a quality edge rusher, and those don’t grow on trees, so he’s likely going to command a contract with a yearly number over $12 million, something Seattle shouldn’t try to match, and instead take a compensatory draft pick for letting Mafe sign elsewhere.

Before You Go: Can Seattle capture the number 1 seed in the NFC?

The first overall seed feels like it could be decided on December 18th, when Seattle hosts the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. Both teams share the conference's best record at 10-3, with the Rams holding the first seed thanks to their win against Seattle on November 16th. The Rams' schedule is significantly softer than Seattle's to end the season, with games against the lowly Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals to close out their season. Seattle, on the other hand, has to face the same Carolina Panthers team that handed the Rams their third loss two weeks ago, before another road game against the San Francisco 49ers in week 18. That paints a bleak picture for the Seahawks, which is why the next two weeks become incredibly important.

Seattle has the benefit of a home game this week against the Indianapolis Colts, who are in a freefall after the announcement that Daniel Jones will miss the rest of the season. There aren’t any free wins in the NFL, but that sounds a whole lot better than facing the Detroit Lions, like the Rams will. If Seattle can beat the Colts and the Lions pull off a road upset, it sets Seattle up with a chance to wipe away the Rams' tiebreaker and take a two-game lead over their division foe with two weeks to play, and puts them in the driver's seat for a bye week.