ESPN insider on what the Seahawks' loss to Rams means for their NFC West chances

There is still divisional title hope for the Seattle Seahawks, but Sam Darnold has to stop turning the ball over

Nov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs the ball against Los Angeles Rams safety Kam Curl (3) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Week 11 was a chance for the Seattle Seahawks to officially take the title as one of the top teams in the NFC West with a road win over the Los Angeles Rams. Seattle’s defense did a stellar job of suppressing the Rams’ elite passing game and consistently making passing situations for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford difficult.

The offense, however, forced itself into bad situations thanks to four interceptions from quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold’s performance eventually led to the Seahawks’ 21-19 tough loss.

The Seahawks came into Sunday in first place for the NFC West but owned a tie-breaker over the Rams due to their two NFC West wins over the Arizona Cardinals. Seattle was also in second place in the NFC, just behind the Philadelphia Eagles.

After Sunday’s loss to the Rams, ESPN Seahawks insider Brady Henderson says a lot has changed with the playoff picture, especially for the NFC West division. The Seahawks entered Week 11 with a 33% chance of winning the NFC West division, only behind the Rams, who had a 50% chance. With the loss, the Seahawks now have a 19% chance to win the division. The Rams have a 66% chance of repeating as NFC West Divisional champs.

The Seahawks have played four of their six divisional games already this season. They defeated the Cardinals twice but lost one game each to the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. There is still a solid chance for Seattle to win its first divisional title since 2020, but it needs some help.

First, Seattle needs to defeat the Rams at home in Week 16 and then at San Francisco in Week 18. The Seahawks also have to ensure they don’t lose at least one or two more games outside of the division.

Seattle will have four of their last seven teams left to play that have a winning record. Those teams being the Rams, 49ers, the Indianapolis Colts (8-2) at home, and the Carolina Panthers (6-5), who have been up-and-down in a weak division. The Seahawks have to play at the Tennessee Titans (1-9), at home against the Minnesota Vikings (4-6), and at the Atlanta Falcons (3-7) within the next three weeks.

It is achievable for Seattle to take the NFC West Division, but not if the turnovers continue. The Seahawks came into Week 11, turning the ball over 16 times in the season, tied for second-most at the time. The Seahawks have now turned the ball over a league-high 20 times after Darnold’s four interceptions against the Rams. Darnold has now thrown 10 interceptions through 10 games.

One of the reasons for Darnold throwing interceptions is his mental need to avoid sacks and force his throws into potentially bad coverages. Henderson suggests that Darnold take a few of those sacks as opposed to forcing his passes that could easily result in interceptions. All four of those interceptions put the Seahawks in bad situations.

Nov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (11) makes a catch against Los Angeles Rams cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (1) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

More Seahawks on SI stories

Seattle Seahawks studs & duds from showdown with the LA Rams

Injury to Seahawks’ star OL may prove more costly than loss to Rams

Sam Darnold feeds ugly big game narrative with multiple picks vs. LA

Takeaways from the Seahawks’ heartbreaking road loss to the Rams