Seattle Seahawks fans will have to wait until Sunday evening to see their team face off against the Rams in Los Angeles, with kickoff slated for 5:20 p.m. PT.
However, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have their eye on other NFL games going on during the day, in particular the matchup in New Orleans between the 10-2 Saints and the 10-2 49ers.
The Seahawks also sit at 10-2, and they can rest knowing they will gain ground on at least one of their two competitors atop the NFC.
But who should fans want to see win that game?
The answer depends on your confidence in Seattle’s ability to win their final four games.
The Seahawks currently hold a tiebreaker over the 49ers and do not have one against the Saints, who they lost to in Week 3, but San Francisco has a chance to wipe out that tiebreaker in Week 17.
A win by the 49ers would guarantee the Seahawks the number one overall seed in the NFC – assuming they win out. A win by the Saints means Seattle could win the rest of their games and still only get the number two seed if New Orleans also wins out.
However, the difference between the number one and number two seed is largely irrelevant, as both teams get a first round bye.
So one could argue that rooting for the Saints makes more sense, as it gives Seattle added insurance that they won’t finish in the wild card game. San Francisco would be handed their third loss of the season, meaning Seattle could afford to lose another game and still potentially finish second (or third, depending on how the 9-3 Packers finish) in the NFC.
It’s a bit messy in the NFC right now, and it likely will stay that way right up until the end of the regular season, but one thing is for sure: the Seahawks can clinch a guaranteed spot in the playoffs with a win against Los Angeles on Sunday night.
So, if nothing else, root for that.
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