Seahawks Can Clinch Playoff Spot in Week 14

Already with as many wins as 2018, Seattle has a chance to punch its postseason ticket with four weeks left to play.

After making the playoffs as a wild card last year, the NFC West-leading Seahawks have far loftier goals than simply returning to postseason play in 2019.

But making it back to the tournament is an important first step and Seattle will have its first crack at locking up a playoff berth in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Taking on a desperate 7-5 Rams squad that remains in the hunt for a wild card, if the Seahawks can finish off a season sweep of their division rivals, they’ll lock up a postseason bid. A tie would also be good enough to punch a ticket for January football.

As far as winning the division is concerned, Seattle isn’t in a position to clinch just yet and the race will likely go down to the wire. San Francisco has the same record and both teams will meet again at CenturyLink Field in Week 17 for what could be an unofficial NFC West title game.

Comparing schedules, the Seahawks appear to have a slightly easier road to close out the season with upcoming games against the Panthers, who fired coach Ron Rivera on Monday, and the Cardinals. The 49ers have to travel to New Orleans next Sunday to play Drew Brees and the top-seeded Saints as well as a potential trap game against the Falcons.

Both teams will play the Rams over the final four weeks, making those intradivisional contests all the more important in determining eventual playoff seeding.