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Seahawks Playoff Scenarios in Week 17

Seattle could still be one of the top two seeds in the conference, but a Week 16 loss to Arizona dramatically reduced the chances of earning a playoff bye.
Corbin K. Smith|
Seahawks Playoff Scenarios in Week 17
Seahawks Playoff Scenarios in Week 17

While the Seahawks suffered a disappointing setback last weekend in a home loss to the Cardinals, the team still controls its own destiny heading into an unofficial NFC West title game against the 49ers on Sunday night.

“It’s a very special week for us,” coach Pete Carroll said on Tuesday. “Last week of the season. Playing for everything, for the division and all that. We’re very fortunate to be in that situation. It is what we aim for. This is what we always look towards. We’re always wondering if the chance to do something like this is going to happen on the road or happen at home. We’re thrilled we’ll be here.”

Sitting with an 11-4 record, a win would give Seattle a season sweep over its bitter division rival and at worst, quarterback Russell Wilson and company would earn the No. 3 overall seed in the conference. With all six playoff teams decided in the NFC, they’d be slated to host Minnesota, who they beat in Week 13 at CenturyLink Field.

Under best circumstances, albeit unlikely ones, the Seahawks could earn the No. 2 overall seed with a victory over the 49ers and a Week 17 loss by the Packers. A win coupled with losses by both the Saints and Packers would vault them to the conference’s top seed and earn them home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Considering the Packers will be playing a three-win Lions squad and the Saints will be playing a reeling Panthers team that has lost seven straight games, neither of those scenarios appear likely. But the 49ers lost to the Falcons and the Seahawks lost to the Cardinals in the past two weeks, so anything is possible in the league this time of year.

On the other side of the coin, a loss would drop the Seahawks to 11-5 and force the team to travel as a road wild card team to face either the Cowboys or Eagles, depending on which team winds up winning the NFC East. Since they own the tiebreaker over the Vikings, they would be the fifth seed.

The importance of Sunday’s rematch cannot be understated, and though Seattle has lost three home games, wild card teams rarely advance beyond the Divisional Round. Earning home field advantage for at least one week by winning the division would give Carroll’s team a better chance to make noise in January.

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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.

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