Tag: nfc playoff picture week 14

A look at the Seahawks playoff odds after losing Week 14

The Seattle Seahawks may have fallen to fifth place in the NFC playoff standings, but they still control their own destiny after Week 14.

The Seattle Seahawks took a hit to their playoff chances on Sunday night, falling 28-12 to the Los Angeles Rams.

Seattle is now 10-3 on the season and while the Seahawks’ odds of earning a playoff spot are still very high (over 98% according to FiveThirtyEight) their odds of winning the NFC West (and earning a first-round bye) have dropped below 50%

However, Seattle is still in control of its destiny in the NFC this season.

With three games to go, at Carolina and at home against the Cardinals and of course the 49ers, the Seahawks will likely need to win all three in order to secure the NFC West. A win against the 49ers, assuming San Francisco wins its other remaining games, would give each team a 13-3 record – but Seattle would hold the tiebreaker.

In fact, the Seahawks could still finish with the number one overall seed in the NFC, although that would not only require a loss by New Orleans (who holds a tiebreaker over Seattle) but it would also come down to Green Bay’s final few games. The Packers are also 10-3, and if they finish with an identical record as Seattle, the top seed will be determined by a series of other tiebreakers.

There’s little doubt that tonight’s loss was a blow for the Seahawks, who certainly wanted to leave California with a guaranteed playoff spot.

However, they still have the power to get a top seed and a bye week if they take care of business the rest of the month, starting with their final road game of the season at Carolina on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 10:00 a.m. PT.

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How Sunday’s 49ers vs. Saints game impacts Seahawks

The San Francisco 49ers will face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday morning in a game that has major playoff implications for the Seahawks.

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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