Seattle Seahawks: The Road To The Playoffs
In the Kansas City Chiefs, the Seattle Seahawks had hoped to find a worthy opponent against whom they could build some confidence and playoff momentum. Instead they found another loss to a very good team. Funny how those keep piling up.
Yes, it’s true that three of the Seahawks’ four losses have come against quality opponents, which, coincidentally, is something the St. Louis Rams have made a habit of impersonating lately. But a loss is a loss, no matter the quality of the opponent. There are six NFC teams with less losses than the Seahawks right now.
That’s right: with a month and a half left to go in the regular season, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are out of the playoff picture, trailing by three full games in their own division (and not even holding second place to themselves). The silver lining has been the mirror season of the San Francisco 49ers. The challenge now is beating SF to the finish line.
Let’s look at the NFC playoff picture, as it currently stands. The Arizona Cardinals have a ridiculous three-game lead over the ‘Hawks and Niners in the West. The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers are 7-3 in the North, while the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are 7-3 in the East. The Atlanta Falcons lead the NFC South with a 4-6 record, somehow, though they’re tied in wins and losses with the New Orleans Saints.
Seattle and San Francisco, of course, are the next-best teams in the conference at 6-4. Someone from the South has to make the playoffs, I guess, and the Cardinals are unexpectedly just about out of reach. So the division crown is out of the picture, but the road to the playoffs is surprisingly clear to see. Outplay the 49ers, and hope one of Detroit/Green Bay/Dallas/Philadelphia stumbles down the stretch.
One factor working in Seattle’s favor is that there aren’t any other NFC teams over .500 than the ones listed above. What’s not working in Seattle’s factor is perhaps more obvious: they’re banged up, they’re feuding, their offensive identity has vanished into thin air, and they’ve already lost four times. Oh, and the schedule. Can’t forget their schedule the rest of the way. It’s brutal!
Can the Seattle Seahawks make the playoffs? Yes, absolutely. Will it take a lot of things going right for that to happen? Yes, absolutely. As fans, we can and do hold out hope during times like this. As realists we realize that the Seahawks’ goal is further away than anyone thought it’d be at this point. And as people who just watched the youngest and most promising Super Bowl-winning team in recent memory hoist a trophy, it’s best not to stop dreaming until we absolutely have to.