Getty The Seattle Seahawks looked to gain ground in Week 13 in the NFL playoff standings.
The Seattle Seahawks entered Week 13’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings with playoff positioning on the line. The 49ers’ loss to the Ravens set the stage for the Seahawks to take the lead in the NFC West if they could win on Monday Night Football. Seattle did just that as they defeated Minnesota to take control of the division.
The win over the Vikings also moved the Seahawks up to the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The Seahawks currently own the tiebreaker over the 49ers by virtue of their win over San Francisco earlier this season. If the Seahawks lost to the Vikings, Seattle would have remained in the playoff picture but would still be in the Wild Card spot.
The Seahawks and Vikings entered Week 13 as the two Wild Card teams in the NFC. Both teams have a better record than the Cowboys, but Dallas would host a playoff game against a Wild Card opponent if they win the NFC East.
The Seahawks will only have a chance at the No. 1 seed if they finish at least one game ahead of the Saints. New Orleans owns the tiebreaker over Seattle thanks to their win over the Seahawks. The two teams are both 10-2 heading into Week 14, meaning the Saints are currently the top seed.
The Seahawks would get a first-round bye and host the Divisional Round matchup if they are able to maintain one of the top two seeds. Heading into the Seahawks-Vikings matchup, Seattle head coach Pete Carroll praised the team’s mindset.
“This is the team that I think we’ll look back on, there was this deep seeded, longstanding care for each other that comes about in terms of harmony that they really are together,” Carroll noted, per Seahawks.com. “They’re with us on everything and they’re going along with it. They’re pliable in a sense. They’re growing into the belief that they can win football games. That’s really powerful knowing when you get there. It’s obvious with all of the close games that we’ve played.
FiveThirtyEight’s computer projections give the Seahawks a 96 percent chance to make the postseason and a 50 percent chance to win the division. Seattle has a 38 percent chance to land one of the top two NFC seeds.
Click here to see the full NFL playoff picture heading into Week 14.
Here is a full rundown of all the NFC playoff standings that impact the Seahawks.
NFC West Standings
| TEAM | W | L | T |
| 1. Seahawks | 10 | 2 | |
| 2. 49ers | 10 | 2 | |
| 3. Rams | 7 | 5 | |
| 4. Cardinals | 3 | 8 | 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. Saints* | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| 2. Seahawks | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| 3. Packers | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| 4. Cowboys | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 5. 49ers | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| 6. Vikings | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| 7. Rams | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 8. Bears | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 9. Buccaneers | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| 10. Eagles | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| 11. Panthers | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| 12. Cardinals | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 13. Redskins | 3 | 9 | 0 |
| 14. Giants | 2 | 10 | 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 Green Bay Packers
No. 5 San Francisco 49ers vs. No. 4 Dallas Cowboys
Bye: No. 1 New Orleans Saints, No. 2 Seattle Seahawks
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. 49ers | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| 2. Vikings | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| 3. Rams | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 4. Bears | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 5. Buccaneers | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| 6. Eagles | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| 7. Panthers | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| 8. Cardinals | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 9. Redskins | 3 | 9 | 0 |
| 10. Giants | 2 | 10 | 0 |
