Getty The Seahawks and Rams square off in a battle for NFC playoff positioning.
The Seahawks are still firmly in the playoff picture but were not able to clinch a postseason spot in Week 14. The Seahawks loss means they dropped to second in the NFC West and down to the top Wild Card spot as the No. 5 seed.
If the postseason started today, the Seahawks would go on the road to face the Cowboys. Based on NFL rules, Dallas would host the playoff matchup since they are the division leader even though Seattle has a better record.
FiveThirtyEight’s computer projections give the Seahawks a 98 percent chance to make the playoffs. The odds to win the NFC West are a lot less at 36 percent when compared to the Niners at 64 percent.
Heading into Sunday Night Football, the Seahawks had an opportunity to move into the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win over the Rams. Instead, the Rams jumped on the Seahawks from the start, and Seattle was never able to recover. Seattle’s offense sputtered while the defense was gashed with big plays.
The good news is the Seahawks are still in the race for the division as they face the 49ers in Week 17. A win over the Niners would allow the Seahawks to hold onto the tiebreaker if the two teams finish with identical records. Seattle does have upcoming matchups against the Panthers and Cardinals which puts them in position to head into Week 17 with the division on the line against the 49ers.
Seattle still has a chance to climb as high as the No. 1 seed but it will be difficult given the Saints hold the tiebreaker over the Seahawks thanks to their win earlier this season. Things are more complicated if the Seahawks end up tied with the Packers as it would go to a series of tiebreakers to determine who gets the higher seed.
Here is a look at the current playoff picture for everything involving the Seahawks.
NFC West Standings
| TEAM | W | L | T |
| 1. 49ers | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| 2. Seahawks | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| 3. Rams | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| 4. Cardinals | 3 | 9 | 1 |
NFC Playoff Standings
Teams with an asterisk have already clinched a playoff spot. Teams in bold would make the playoffs if the postseason started today.
| TEAM | W | L | T |
| 1. 49ers | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| 2. Packers | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| 3. Saints* | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| 4. Cowboys | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 5. Seahawks | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| 6. Vikings | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 7. Rams | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 8. Bears | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| 9. Buccaneers | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 10. Eagles | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 11. Panthers | 5 | 8 | 0 |
| 12. Cardinals | 3 | 9 | 1 |
| 13. Redskins | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| 14. Giants | 2 | 11 | 0 |
NFC Playoff Matchups
Here are the current NFC playoff matchups if the postseason started today. The top two seeds get a first-round bye and host a playoff game in the Divisional Round.
No. 6 Minnesota Vikings vs. No. 3 New Orleans Saints
No. 5 Seattle Seahawks vs. No. 4 Dallas Cowboys
Bye: No. 1 San Francisco 49ers, No. 2 Green Bay Packers
NFC Wild Card Standings
The top two teams in the Wild Card standings will claim a playoff spot. Teams in bold would make the playoffs if the postseason started today.
| TEAM | W | L | T |
| 1. Seahawks | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 2. Vikings | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| 3. Rams | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 4. Bears | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| 5. Buccaneers | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 6. Eagles | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 7. Panthers | 5 | 8 | 0 |
| 8. Cardinals | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 9. Redskins | 3 | 9 | 0 |
| 10. Giants | 2 | 11 | 0 |
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