The Seattle Seahawks have secured their spot in the playoffs.
However, this Week 17 presents a crucial opportunity for Sam Darnold and his teammates to edge closer to Super Bowl LX.
This weekend, the Seahawks can not only clinch the NFC West title but also secure the top position in the NFC, which would grant them a crucial bye week in the conference playoffs.
That said, for Seattle to achieve these goals, they will rely heavily on some help from their division rivals.
Seattle Seahawks playoff advancement scenario
Focusing on the NFC West here.
The Seahawks lead the division with a 12-3 record. The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams are both at 11-4, but San Francisco has a slight edge with a better divisional record—4-1 for the 49ers compared to 3-2 for the Rams. This places them in second and third, respectively.
To clinch the NFC West title this weekend, the Seahawks need to either win against the Carolina Panthers, have the 49ers lose, or tie with the Chicago Bears. Also, the Rams need to lose or tie against the Atlanta Falcons in Monday Night Football.
Both the Rams and 49ers are favored in their matchups, with the Rams expected to prevail by at least a touchdown.
Another potential path for Seattle is if they tie with the Panthers while hoping the 49ers and Rams both lose.
It’s a long shot, but it’s possible.
Now, regarding that No. 1 seed, the Seahawks will have an even tougher route to claiming it this weekend. They must defeat the Panthers, watch the Rams fall to the Falcons, and hope that the 49ers tie with the Bears on Sunday night. You might wonder why the 49ers need to tie. Well, it’s because San Francisco also has a chance at the top seed, playing against Chicago. If the 49ers lose, it gives Chicago a chance to take the No. 1 seed. But if they end up tied, neither team can catch up to Seattle.
NFC standings entering Week 17
Here’s a look at the complete NFC standings as we head into Week 17, including results from Christmas Day.
× – The team has advanced to the playoffs
y- The team has clinched the division title
e- The team has been eliminated from playoff contention
NFC West standings entering Week 17
Here are the current standings for the NFC West as we approach Week 17:
As noted earlier, the 49ers currently have the tiebreaker advantage over the Rams based on their better divisional record. San Francisco is 4-1 in those matchups (Seattle has yet to play theirs in Week 18), while the Rams sit at 3-2, with the Cardinals still in the mix for Week 18. The season series between these teams was split.
