It’s a decent end within the NFC West between the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams for the division title. The Arizona Cardinals are lurking at 7-7 however not in an incredible place for a miracle end, whereas the 6-8 San Francisco 49ers may very well be eradicated from the playoffs this weekend.
With the Seahawks throwing away their slender division lead final week, the Rams maintain first place on the head-to-head tiebreaker regardless of having an equivalent 8-6 report. Not preferrred!
This week, the Seahawks host the 12-2 Minnesota Vikings whereas the Rams journey to New Jersey to tackle the 4-10 New York Jets. Once more, the chances don’t look favorable for Seattle. However within the curiosity of completeness, let’s take a look at the 4 primary situations from the Seahawks’ perspective. I’m not together with ties as a result of, nicely, they virtually by no means occur and I don’t wish to make issues extra convoluted.
The perfect consequence: The Seahawks win (9-6) and Rams lose (8-7)
Seattle can win the NFC West in Week 17.
Severely.
Beat the Chicago Bears on Thursday and hope the Los Angeles Rams lose at residence to the Arizona Cardinals and that may make the Seahawks’ NFC West lead unassailable. They’d be no less than two video games away from their rivals and Week 18 turns into solely significant for No. 3 vs. No. 4 seeding functions.
It doesn’t get any less complicated than that.
The subsequent finest consequence: The Seahawks (9-6) and Rams (9-6) win
Week 17 is sort of meaningless for each groups. Neither will be eradicated from the NFC West title and neither can clinch. If Seattle loses in Week 17 and the Rams win, the Seahawks can nonetheless win the division in Week 18 via the power of victory tiebreaker. If Seattle wins in Week 17 and the Rams lose, Los Angeles can nonetheless get the head-to-head tiebreaker by sweeping the Seahawks in Week 18.
Nonetheless, if the Washington Commanders (9-5) slip up within the Wild Card race, the Seahawks might have an alternate path to the playoffs open up, so I wouldn’t simply waste Week 17 simply due to the divisional scenario.
The “not dangerous, however not nice” consequence: The Seahawks (8-7) and Rams (8-7) lose
Beside doubtlessly placing the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers again within the division combine, this consequence is just like if each the Seahawks and Rams win. Neither will be eradicated nor mathematically clinch the NFC West. It will create some doable three-way tie situations on the finish of the season and people wouldn’t be type to Seattle. The Wild Card would even be all however unattainable for the Seahawks.
One other method to say this: A Rams loss would give Seattle one large lifeline earlier than it even kicks the Vikings sport off.
By the way, that is the one situation of the 4 by which the San Francisco 49ers usually are not robotically eradicated from the division (and, in impact, the playoffs) no matter their outcome in opposition to the Miami Dolphins.
The worst consequence: The Seahawks lose (8-7) and the Rams (9-6) win
The Seahawks may very well be mathematically eradicated from the division and the Wild Card in Week 17. Lose to the Bears whereas the Rams beat the Cardinals and that’s all, people. Even a Week 17 win over the Bears would successfully want a Cardinals win over the Rams to ensure that the Seahawks to have a combating probability in Week 18.
Go Seahawks, go Jets, and simply to be protected we needs to be pulling for the Philadelphia Eagles over the Commanders for the Wild Card possibility, in addition to the Carolina Panthers to only about ship the KO punch to the Cardinals.
