The Seattle Seahawks sat out Sunday’s festivities via their Week 10 bye. Mike Macdonald’s squad currently sits outside the playoff picture in both the NFC West and a tight-knit race for the conference’s three wild-card positions. Here’s an updated look at the NFC West wild-card playoff picture.
Minnesota Vikings remain in No. 1 wild card spot
The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 12-7 on Sunday to remain the NFC’s top wild-card seed. They own an excellent 7-2 record, but trail the 8-1 Detroit Lions in the NFC North. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is overseeing an elite defense that limited the Jaguars to 143 total yards. The Vikings feel like a lock for the postseason.
Washington Commanders No. 2 seed
The Washington Commanders lost 28-27 by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson connected with Mike Williams for a 32-yard go-ahead game-winning touchdown with 2:27 remaining. The Commanders entered the weekend leading the NFC East, but fell down to the No. 2 wild-card seed as the Philadelphia Eagles took over the division lead.
Green Bay Packers remain No. 3 seed
Like the Seahawks, the Green Bay Packers enjoyed a Week 10 bye. Despite the off-week, the 6-3 Packers did not forfeit their current postseason positioning. Matt LaFleur’s squad is the third place team in the NFC North, trailing the Lions (8-1) and Vikings (7-2).
San Francisco 49ers remain in contention
The San Francisco 49ers got Christian McCaffrey back and defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20. The 49ers improved to 5-4 and remained on the Packers’ heels for the final wild-card spot. Kyle Shanahan’s annual contenders will remain in the playoff hunt despite their current outside-looking-in circumstances.
Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football
Seattle’s other NFC West rival, the Los Angeles Rams, play the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. The red-hot Rams are 4-5 and could equal the 49ers’ 5-4 record with a victory. A Dolphins upset would greatly benefit the Seahawks’ postseason positioning.
Chicago Bears free-fall
The Chicago Bears have lost three consecutive contests, equaling Seattle’s current record of 4-5. Former Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is struggling to build a successful offense around No. 1 overall quarterback Caleb Williams.
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