Tag: Playoff probability

Seahawks need to rely on outside help for the playoffs for 3rd straight season

Seahawks need to rely on outside help for the playoffs for 3rd straight season

The Seattle Seahawks lost a heartbreaker to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, falling 27-24 in a nailbiter. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams defeated the New York Jets 19-9 in Week 16. The Rams now hold a tangible advantage in the NFC West, improving their overall record to 9-6 while the Seahawks fell to 8-7. Sean McVay’s Hollywood-based club also currently holds the head-to-head advantage, meaning Seattle will need to rely on outside help to make the postseason for a third consecutive season.

Seahawks fans have been operating under the impression that the pending Week 18 finale with the Rams would help decide the division. That’s no longer guaranteed. If the Seahawks and Rams are both victorious in Week 17, and then the Seahawks defeat the Rams in Week 18, the two NFC West rivals will have split the regular-season series while also equaling one another’s divisional and conference record, per Anthony Dabbundo.

Under such a scenario, Strength of Schedule (SOS) would decide the 2024 NFC West champion. The Rams currently possess a clear advantage in that department with a four-game lead. The Seahawks would unfortunately require a lot of help to flip this tiebreak in their direction.

The Seahawks required help down the stretch of 2024 as well. They concluded Pete Carroll’s final campaign at 9-8, trailing the San Francisco 49ers (12-5) and Rams (10-7) in the division. Macdonald’s first season appears headed for a similar campaign. The Seahawks did not receive the help they needed last year, with the Green Bay Packers claiming the No. 7 (and final) postseason seed despite sporting their identical 9-8 record. Unfortunately, history may be slated to repeat itself.

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Seattle Seahawks’ Week 16 Rooting Guide

Seattle Seahawks’ Week 16 Rooting Guide

The Seattle Seattle Seahawks have a difficult matchup in Week 16, hosting the NFC-best 12-2 Minnesota Vikings. Seattle’s postseason chances are beginning to dwindle. They forfeited control of the NFC West last weekend. As things stand, the Seahawks would benefit greatly from some positive results in other games on Sunday. With that in mind, we’ve compiled your Week 16 rooting guide.

Jets over Rams

The Los Angeles Rams currently own the same record as the Seahawks at 8-6, but are currently in pole position in the NFC West as a result of defeating Mike Macdonald’s club in Week 9. A victory for Seattle paired with a loss for Sean McVay would place the Seahawks back atop the division. Unfortunately, relying on the New York Jets to execute the upset isn’t overly favorable.

Panthers over Cardinals

The Seahawks have already swept the regular-season series with the Cardinals, but they remain in the hunt at 7-7 and one victory behind Seattle. A loss on Sunday to the Carolina Panthers would essentially remove the Cardinals from the conversation. The Bryce Young-led Panthers have displayed sneaky-good improvement in recent showings.

Dolphins over 49ers

The 6-8 San Francisco 49ers need a miracle to catch the Seahawks and Rams in the NFC West, but alas, they remain alive until mathematically eliminated. This weekend, they’re traveling to face the Miami Dolphins. An incredibly disappointing campaign for Kyle Shanahan would reach its merciful end with a loss.

Eagles over Commanders

The 9-5 Washington Commanders are the only wild-card holder Seattle has a realistic chance of catching. After losing three consecutive contests, Dan Quinn’s squad is back on the winning track, capturing victories in three straight outings. The 12-2 Philadelphia Eagles may prove too much to handle, however.

Giants over Falcons

The 7-7 Atlanta Falcons are in a similar position to the Seahawks. They’re currently on the outside looking in, but remain in contention for both their division and a wild-card spot. Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is making his debut start for the Falcons against the New York Giants on Sunday. Head coach Raheem Morris is hoping he can provide a much-needed spark.

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Seahawks win over Vikings in Week 16 would mean more than a victory in Week 17

Seahawks win over Vikings in Week 16 would mean more than a victory in Week 17

The Seattle Seahawks’ postseason hopes suffered a massive setback following Sunday Night Football’s 30-13 Week 15 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The Los Angeles Rams took over control of the NFC West division as a result. Seattle’s playoff chances plummeted to 37.2% to win the division, and 35.1% to make the postseason, per Brady Henderson and ESPN Analytics.

Seahawks fans have begun looking ahead to a potentially NFC West division-deciding showdown with the Rams in the Week 18 regular-season finale, but not so fast. Mike Macdonald’s club possesses two important games before that, with the Minnesota Vikings this weekend, and the Chicago Bears in Week 17. According to Brian Nemhauser, a victory over the Vikings would achieve more to increase Seattle’s playoff chances than a triumph over the Bears would.

Defeating the Vikings would give the Seahawks a strength of victory tiebreaker over Rams even if they’re upset by the Bears a week later, per Nemhauser. Beating Chicago and losing to Minnesota would not achieve the same. The Seahawks must approach the Vikings contest this weekend with a win-and-in mindset.

The 12-2 Vikings have won seven consecutive contests. Seattle is facing another must-win situation at Lumen Field. Hopefully they handle that scenario better than they did in Sunday’s Packers embarrassment.

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Seahawks’ postseason odds plummet following Packers setback

Seahawks’ postseason odds plummet following Packers setback

The Seattle Seahawks entered Sunday’s primetime contest versus the Green Bay Packers in pole position in the NFC West. Having enjoyed a four-game win streak, Mike Macdonald’s club went into Sunday possessing a 55.5% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Analytics department. Their predictive model gave Seattle a 51.8% chance to win the division title.

Unfortunately, the Seahawks were swept aside 30-13 by the Packers on Sunday Night Football. That setback had a dramatic impact on Seattle’s updated postseason odds. The Los Angeles Rams have moved into first place in the NFC West. Seattle’s latest playoff now stands at 37.2% to win the division, and 35.1% to make the postseason, per Brady Henderson and ESPN Analytics.

It’s rare that a team possesses a better opportunity to win the division than claim a wild-card spot, but that’s the situation the Seahawks find themselves in. As Henderson laid out above, the Washington Commanders currently possess a one-game lead for the third-and-final wild card spot, and have two more NFC wins for tiebreaker purposes. Whereas the Seahawks still possess a potentially NFC-West-deciding showdown with the Rams during Week 18’s regular-season finale.

Macdonald’s attention now shifts to a difficult matchup with the surging 12-2 Minnesota Vikings in Week 16. The Seahawks must stay within one victory of their arch rival Rams to increase their chances of Week 18 being a win-and-in scenario. Seattle must quickly recover from Sunday’s setback to keep their postseason dreams alive.

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ESPN updates Seahawks’ playoff odds after Week 14 win

ESPN updates Seahawks’ playoff odds after Week 14 win

The Seattle Seahawks captured a massive victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, winning their Week 14 contest 30-18. Mike Macdonald’s squad has now successfully completed the regular-season sweep over the Cardinals. Seattle has won four consecutive games, including three straight divisional ones. Their postseason odds have drastically improved as a result.

The Seahawks now possess approximately a 55.5% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Analytics department. Their predictive model gives Seattle a 51.8% chance to win the NFC West division title, which they currently lead by one game over the Los Angeles Rams. Macdonald’s surging squad must remain focused. A defeat on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers in Week 14, paired with a Rams win over the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, would drop Seattle out of postseason seeding altogether, according to ESPN team reporter Brady Henderson.

A defeat to the Cardinals on Sunday would have dropped Seattle’s postseason odds to 11%, according to FTN Fantasy’s simulation model. It was a necessary victory for Macdonald’s squad within the NFC West. Seattle is now 3-2 within the division.

Seattle’s lone remaining divisional contest is versus those pesky Rams in Week 18. The NFC West could be decided on primetime. A victory over the Packers on Sunday would further strengthen the Seahawks’ postseason chances. Furthermore, all 12’s should be rooting for the 49ers to defeat the Rams on Thursday Night Football.

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Updated Seahawks playoff odds heading into Week 13

Updated Seahawks playoff odds heading into Week 13

The Seattle Seahawks captured a massive victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12. Mike Macdonald’s squad enters Sunday’s Week 13 showdown versus the New York Jets having won back-to-back NFC West divisional games against the Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. Seattle’s postseason odds have been drastically altered as a result.

The Seahawks now possess approximately a 29% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Analytics department. ESPN’s predictive model gives Seattle a ~25% chance to win the NFC West division title, which they currently lead via the tiebreaker. Seattle’s remaining strength of schedule is 10th-hardest in the league, per Brady Henderson.

Prior to Sunday’s victory over the Cardinals, Seattle’s postseason odds stood at 11%, according to The Athletic’s playoff model. It more than doubled following Macdonald’s second straight win. Their odds of winning the NFC West stood at just 8 percent.

The Seahawks possess four remaining road contests (@ NYJ, @ ARZ, @ CHI, @ LAR) and just two home games (GB, MIN). Seattle’s next two matchups are on the road, including a rematch with the Cardinals. They’ll conclude their regular-season campaign with a road divisional game with the Los Angeles Rams. Their home dates are against consecutive NFC North opponents with Green Bay and Minnesota in Weeks 15 and 16.

A victory over the Jets on Sunday would further increase Seattle’s postseason chances.

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Ranking all 32 teams – including the Seahawks – by playoff % going into Week 18

Let’s see where all 32 teams stand going into Week 18

The Seahawks blew it this past week against the Steelers, dealing a potentially fatal blow to their playoff hopes. Heading into the final week of the regular season, they face a must-win game against the Cardinals on the road. They’ll also require some help to make the postseason, needing the Bears to upset the Packers.

Let’s see where all 32 teams stand going into Week 18. Here are their chances of making the playoffs, according to NFL.com.

Ranking all 32 teams – including the Seahawks – by playoff % going into Week 17

Here are the current odds for all 32 teams to make the postseason going into Week 17

The Seahawks are getting closer and closer to securing a Wild Card spot in the NFL postseason. Let’s see where they are in the playoff race.

Here are the current odds for all 32 teams to make the postseason going into Week 17, according to NFL.com.

Ranking all 32 NFL teams (including the Seahawks) by playoff % going into Week 16

Here are each team’s chances of making the playoffs going into Week 16, according to the latest projections by Pro Football Focus.

The Seahawks have made a habit of finishing the season strong under head coach Pete Carroll. It looks like they turned the corner in Monday night’s win over the Eagles, a victory which saved their playoff lives. A loss would have dropped their chances of making the postseason to just 10%. Now they are over 50% as they prepare to face three teams that are nowhere near as tough as the opponents they just had to slog through. Let’s see where all 32 NFL teams stand in the playoff picture.

Here are each team’s chances of making the playoffs going into Week 16, according to the latest projections by Pro Football Focus.

All 32 teams (including the Browns) ranked by playoff probability with 5 weeks to go

Here are all 32 teams ranked by their probability of finding postseason contention according to ESPN Football Power Index.

The Cleveland Browns have dropped their past two games, but that has not stopped them from remaining in the driver’s seat toward a wild card spot. Against all odds, and despite all of the injuries that have piled up in Cleveland, head coach Kevin Stefanski and company have this team competing in every game they are in.

With five games remaining, the Browns may now also see backup quarterbacks in three of those games, including this Sunday against the Jaguars. On a short week for Jacksonville, Trevor Lawrence was helped off the field with an ankle injury in a Monday night loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. A win would all but give the Browns an extremely firm hold on a wild card spot.

Where do their chances of making the postseason rank among the rest of the NFL, but particularly the other teams in the hunt like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, and Houston Texans?

Here are all 32 teams ranked by their probability of making the playoffs based on ESPN’s Football Power Index.