It has been a rough stretch for the Seattle Seahawks, as they have seen their playoff chances drop significantly during their four-game losing streak. Heading to Monday Night Football at 6-7, the Seahawks now have a clearer picture of their playoff scenarios both this week and moving forward.
Let’s examine Seattle’s playoff scenarios both in Week 15 and what it could mean for the rest of the season.
Seahawks Playoff Chances | Monday Night Football Update
Note that this article was originally published on Dec. 18 before Monday Night Football.
Following Seattle’s win over the Eagles, the Seahawks (7-7) are currently the 8th seed in the NFC.
Keep reading below to see the playoff scenarios for the Seahawks entering Monday Night Football. And head over to PFN’s free NFL Playoff Predictor to test various scenarios and see how they change the playoff picture.
What Are the Seattle Seahawks’ Playoff Chances and Scenarios for Week 15?
Entering Monday Night Football, the Seahawks’ playoff chances got a little boost following Sunday’s results. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives them a 32% chance of making the playoffs heading into their game with the Philadelphia Eagles. That is up around 3% compared to Sunday morning.
In terms of the overall NFL playoff picture, Seattle did not feel any of the turbulence that swept through the NFC in their spot in the standings. The Seahawks entered Sunday ninth and left Sunday still in ninth.
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A win on Monday Night Football would see Seattle jump into the eighth spot in the NFC playoff picture, and keep it tied on winning percentage with the teams just above it. They would jump the New Orleans Saints with a win, but due to NFL playoff tiebreakers, cannot move any higher.
The Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams currently occupy the sixth and seventh seeds with their 7-7 record. The Rams have the tiebreaker advantage over the Seahawks in the NFC West thanks to their two victories against Seattle this season. The Vikings then have a superior conference record to the Rams and sit above them.
It was almost a fairly good weekend for the Seahawks. The Vikings losing Saturday means they can end the week level on winning percentage with the sixth seed. Losses for the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons opened up the chance to finish a game ahead of them.
For an ideal weekend, the Seahawks would have certainly liked the Rams to lose, and probably the Saints as well. Seattle needs to finish with a better record than the Rams because they cannot overturn that divisional tiebreaker, which could be crucial with divisional ties always being resolved before conference tiebreakers are considered.
Additionally, the Seahawks have a head-to-head win over the New York Giants, so they would have preferred to have the Giants and Saints at 6-8 after this week than have the Saints at 7-7. However, the Seahawks enter Monday with a superior conference record to the Saints and the chance to extend that to a two-game lead in the win column.
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A loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15 would not be terminal for the Seahawks’ playoff chances, but it would be a major dent. The Seahawks would essentially be 1.25 games behind the Rams in the division with three to play. Additionally, they would be a game behind the Vikings and Saints with a worse conference record.
The Seahawks would drop to six conference losses, which is one more than the Saints and three more than the Vikings. If Minnesota won one of its remaining three games, Seattle would not be able to overturn that tiebreaker, so would need to finish with a better winning percentage.
With games to come against the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Arizona Cardinals in their last three matchups, Seattle will feel confident that they can go 3-0. If they can make that 4-0 with a win over the Eagles tonight, it’s hard to imagine them missing out on the playoffs this season.
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!
