Tag: division

Seahawks can clinch playoff berth with win or tie in Week 14

With a win or a tie over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14, the Seattle Seahawks can clinch a berth in this year’s playoffs.

The Seattle Seahawks earned a huge win over the Minnesota Vikings Monday night to take the lead in the NFC West over the San Francisco 49ers and jump up to the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

Seattle will square off against the division-rival Rams on Sunday and could clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win or a tie Week 14.

Here are this week’s official AFC and NFC playoff scenarios per NFL Communications.

AFC

CLINCHED: None

BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-2) at Buffalo Bills (9-3)

Baltimore clinches AFC North division title with:

  1. BAL win + PIT loss or tie OR
  2. BAL tie + PIT loss

Baltimore clinches playoff berth with:

  1. BAL win OR
  2. BAL tie + HOU loss or tie OR
  3. BAL tie + TEN loss or tie OR
  4. HOU loss + IND loss or tie + OAK-TEN tie

BUFFALO BILLS (9-3) vs. Baltimore Ravens (10-2)

Buffalo clinches playoff berth with:

  1. BUF win + OAK loss or tie + HOU loss + IND loss or tie

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8-4) at New England (10-2)

Kansas City clinches AFC West division title with:

  1. KC win + OAK loss

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (10-2) vs. Kansas City (8-4)

New England clinches playoff berth with:

  1. NE win OR
  2. NE tie + PIT loss OR
  3. NE tie + HOU loss or tie OR
  4. NE tie + TEN loss or tie OR
  5. HOU loss + IND loss or tie + OAK-TEN tie

NFC

CLINCHED: New Orleans Saints – NFC South Division

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (10-2) at New Orleans (10-2)

San Francisco clinches playoff berth with:

  1. SF win + LAR loss or tie OR
  2. SF tie + LAR loss

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (10-2) at L.A. Rams (7-5)

Seattle clinches playoff berth with:​

  1. SEA win or tie

The Seahawks will be featured this week in primetime once again, with kickoff against the Rams set for Sunday night at 5:20 p.m. on NBC.

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NFC West roundup: 49ers and Cardinals lose, Rams win in Week 13

The San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals lost in Week 13 but the Los Angeles Rams won. Here’s how it stacks u for the Seattle Seahawks.

Week 13 was favorable for the Seattle Seahawks (9-2) overall, despite them not having played their crucial game against the Minnesota Vikings (8-3) yet. That game will take place Monday night at CenturyLink Field at 5:15 p.m. PT.

The San Francisco 49ers (10-2) lost to the Baltimore Ravens (10-2), which provides the Seahawks with a perfect opportunity to take the lead in the NFC West. The Los Angeles Rams (7-5) rebounded from their recent struggles with a blowout victory over the lowly Arizona Cardinals (3-8-1), who are now officially eliminated from postseason contention.

Let us dive into the specifics of both games ahead of Seattle’s Monday Night clash with Minnesota.

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Saints beat Falcons 26-18, clinch third straight NFC South title

The New Orleans Saints overwhelmed a last-minute Atlanta Falcons comeback effort to improve to 10-2 and win the NFC South division title.

The New Orleans Saints shut down an Atlanta Falcons comeback bid to improve to 10-2 on the year so far and clinch their third consecutive NFC South division title, punching their ticket for the playoffs. It was an impressive win filled with big plays on offense from do-it-all fireplug Taysom Hill and a punishing defense that sacked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan nine times.

Sure, it wasn’t perfect. The Saints left too many points on the board with dropped passes and three failed onside kick recoveries down the stretch. Penalties plagued the team throughout the game. They obviously have plenty to clean up in the next week-and-a-half before their next kickoff.

But for now, it’s time to celebrate. The Saints won big over a divisional rival that embarrassed them once this year already, and did so on a national stage in Atlanta’s building (the other Mercedes-Benz-sponsored NFL venue). They’re locked in to host a playoff game and the Falcons are mathematically eliminated. Celebrate, New Orleans.

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NFC West roundup: 49ers sweep Cardinals, Rams beat Bears in Week 11

In Week 11, the San Francisco 49ers completed their sweep of the Arizona Cardinals while the Los Angeles Rams edged out the Chicago Bears.

The Seattle Seahawks (8-2) had a well-deserved bye week, leaving their rivals to battle it out in Week 11. The San Francisco 49ers (9-1) and Arizona Cardinals (3-7-1) faced off against each other in Santa Clara and the Los Angeles Rams (6-4) played the Chicago Bears (4-6) on Sunday night. Both the 49ers and Rams came out victorious, and the Cardinals lost to San Francisco. Here is a more specific summary of how Seattle’s rivals in the NFC West performed in Week 11.

San Francisco 49ers 36 – Arizona Cardinals 26

The 49ers pulled off a memorable comeback victory against their division rival and kept a hold on the No. 1 seed in the NFC while also securing their first winning season since 2013.

The Cardinals raced ahead 16-0 before San Francisco scored 17 unanswered points to take the lead. From there it was a back-and-forth battle until Jimmy Garoppolo threw the game-winning touchdown pass to running back Jeff Wilson with 31 seconds remaining in regulation. The 49ers scored a defensive touchdown on Arizona’s desperation lateral attempt on the final play of the game, making the final score 36-26 and completing a sweep of the Cardinals.

Garoppolo threw four touchdown passes for 424 yards and two interceptions, completing 75.6% of his passes along the way. Kyler Murray threw two TDs and no INTs for only 150 yards but also completed over 70% of his passes.

San Francisco will play the Green Bay Packers (8-2) in a highly anticipated contest on “Sunday Night Football.” Arizona hits its bye week and is all but out of the race for the division and the postseason.

Los Angeles Rams 17 – Chicago Bears 7

A defensive slugfest on Sunday night, the Rams edged out the Bears at home. Both quarterbacks struggled immensely for the most part and couldn’t get into a rhythm. Mitch Trubisky suffered a hip injury and was taken out of the game, leaving Chase Daniel to fill in for him.

The Rams defense outplayed that of the Bears, limiting their opponent to seven points. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald had two sacks and four quarterback hits, while Bears defensive end Khalil Mack did not even register a tackle. Los Angeles did enough on both sides of the ball to secure a win and keep its faint playoff hopes alive.

The Rams get an extra day off as they play the high-flying Ravens (8-2) –  whose quarterback Lamar Jackson has taken the NFL by storm – next Monday night.

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49ers stay atop NFC West, Seahawks after win over Cardinals

The San Francisco 49ers remain at the top of the NFC West and ahead of the
Seattle Seahawks, after beating the Arizona Cardinals Week 11.

Despite having a bye week, the Seattle Seahawks had a chance to take the lead in the NFC West on Sunday with a little help from the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals traveled to Santa Clara Week 11 to face the 49ers for their second time this season. Arizona lost to San Francisco in the desert Halloween night and hoped to even the score in the rematch.

A win would have put the Seahawks atop the division.

The Cardinals came out swinging Sunday afternoon and took an early 16-0 lead over the 49ers before San Francisco was able to put points on the board in the second quarter.

The 49ers, however, would emerge victorious after D.J. Reed’s fumble recovery and return for a touchdown sealed the deal on the final play of the game.

San Franciso beat the Cardinals 36-26 and remains the leader in the NFC West.

The Seahawks (8-2) remain in spitting distance of the 49ers (9-1), especially after their 27-24 win on “Monday Night Football.”

Seattle has one of the toughest second-half schedules in the league and is now set to square off against the Eagles in Week 12.

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Seahawks take NFC West lead if Cardinals beat 49ers on the road

The Seattle Seahawks could take the lead in the NFC West if the Arizona Cardinals defeat the San Francisco 49ers on the road today.

The Seattle Seahawks can take the lead in the NFC West for the first time since October 2017 if the Arizona Cardinals defeat the San Francisco 49ers on the road in Week 11.

Seattle has fought valiantly through 10 weeks of football, compiling an admirable 8-2 record through that span, but the NFC is absolutely stacked this year. The Seahawks will have their work cut out for them if they want to make the postseason, let alone compete in it.

The 8-1 49ers are their biggest obstacle, as they share a division with Seattle. Despite their loss to the Seahawks in overtime last week, the 49ers have repeatedly proven they are not to be taken lightly by rattling off eight straight wins in the first half of the season. In addition, the Seahawks narrowly edged them out and barely escaped Levi’s Stadium with a victory. Both teams made critical errors, but the 49ers refused to let up at any point. Seattle will need all the help it can get from San Francisco’s opponents while capitalizing on any opportunities presented.

However, like the Seahawks, the 49ers have a difficult second-half schedule that could hinder their chances of claiming the division crown. Most notably, San Francisco still has to play the Saints and Ravens, the two teams that beat Seattle.

The Seahawks have a good chance to make the postseason and even claim the NFC West crown, but they will likely need to count on some assistance from other teams. It starts with the Cardinals today at 1:05 p.m. PT.

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NFC West roundup Week 10: Seahawks only team in division to win

The Seattle Seahawks were the only team in the NFC West to post a win in Week 10, as the 49ers, Rams and Cardinals all suffered losses.

Week 10 was a brilliant week for the Seattle Seahawks, as they were the only team in the NFC West to win a game. What’s more, their victory came against their biggest rival in a thrilling overtime classic.

The Cardinals suffered a gut-wrenching defeat to the Buccaneers, while the Rams fell to the streaking Steelers on the road.

The Seahawks are now in a great position heading into their bye week and have a chance to win the division outright. Let us dive a little deeper into the specifics of how Seattle’s rivals fared last week.

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