The Seattle Seahawks face a challenging road to the postseason following their 27-24 defeat against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. The loss significantly lowered their playoff chances to just 24%, as the Vikings secured victory with a late touchdown pass from Sam Darnold to Justin Jefferson, followed by a game-sealing interception of Seattle quarterback Geno Smith.
Had the Seahawks emerged victorious, they could have clinched the NFC West title by winning their remaining two games. Now, their playoff fate is uncertain, especially with the division-leading Los Angeles Rams poised to eliminate Seattle if they defeat the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.
“Our destiny is not in our hands right now, which is tough,” said Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald. “But we still have a ton of football to play for. I mean, a break here or there, and we’re right back in it.”
Just two weeks ago, the Seahawks held a one-game lead in the NFC West and had better than a 50% chance of making the playoffs. Now, they find themselves one game behind the Rams, who secured their fourth consecutive win by defeating the New York Jets on Sunday.
The Seahawks can still claim the division title if the Rams lose on Saturday. “We’ve just got to handle our part, which is win out and then let the chips fall where they may,” linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. “Hopefully, we can catch a little luck and get in there. But, yeah, it’s a tough one.”
While Seattle could potentially win the strength-of-victory tiebreaker against the Rams, the scenario required for that to happen is highly improbable. It would involve losses for San Francisco, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Buffalo, coupled with wins for Denver, Miami, Atlanta, and Arizona.
With Sunday’s loss, the Seahawks have also been eliminated from contention for a wild-card spot, and their home record at Lumen Field has dropped to 3-6 this season. This marks only the third time since the stadium opened in 2002 that Seattle has finished with a losing record at home, following similar outcomes in 2008 and 2021.
Looking ahead, the Seahawks will face the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, a team currently on a nine-game losing streak. “We’ve got to win two, but it starts with one,” Smith said. “We’ve got a tough Chicago team on the road. I know their record isn’t the greatest, but watching film on those guys shows they have a lot of talent. We’ve got to be ready coming off a short week, especially with travel on Christmas.”
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