Seattle Seahawks Playoff Odds Still Very Good, Despite Tough Loss To Atlanta Falcons
The Seattle Seahawks’ playoff odds took a bit of a hit with a loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night (November 20), but the team is still in a strong position to make the 2018 NFL Playoffs. The best thing going for the Seahawks is that the team still controls its own destiny. That’s the ideal position for any team to be in, let alone one dealing with a rash of injuries like the Seahawks have gone through this season.
The 34-31 loss was a tough one for many fans to accept, especially with what would have happened had the Seattle Seahawks found a way to win the game in overtime. With a victory, the Seahawks would have improved to 7-3 on the season, tying them with the Los Angeles Rams for first place in the NFC West. Having already beaten the Rams this season, the Seahawks own the head-to-head tiebreaker, which would have given the team first place for the time being.
Losing to the Falcons dropped the Seahawks to 6-4 on the season and out of the current NFL playoff picture. If the 2018 NFL Playoffs were to begin today (November 21), the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons would be the two NFC Wild Card teams. It shows that the Seahawks have a bit of work to do in the final six weeks of the regular season to make up that ground again. The great news is that the Seahawks have control of the outcome and just need to take care of business down the stretch.
Football night in Seattle. #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/Ijpn1kzZp7
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 21, 2017
The Seattle Seahawks’ schedule still has the San Francisco 49ers (1-9), Philadelphia Eagles (9-1), Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3), Los Angeles Rams (7-3), Dallas Cowboys (5-5), and Arizona Cardinals (4-6) left on it. There is some good news and bad news within the NFL schedule for the Seahawks. The good news is that the Seahawks get to host the Eagles, Rams, and Cardinals, giving the team a bit of an advantage with the home crowd. The bad news includes star running back Ezekiel Elliott returning in time for the Week 16 game.
If the Seahawks finish the season 6-0, no matter what the Rams do, the team will finish first place in the NFC West at 12-4. The best the Rams could do is 12-4 and a tie that they would lose with the head-to-head tiebreakers. As for the Rams’ NFL schedule, they have to play the New Orleans Saints (8-2), Arizona Cardinals (4-6), Philadelphia Eagles (9-1), Seattle Seahawks (6-4), Tennessee Titans (6-4), and San Francisco 49ers (1-9). That’s not an easy schedule either, as the Saints are playing very well and the Titans are battling for an AFC playoff spot.
It is very unlikely that the NFC South is going to have three playoff teams, as the leaders of the division have quite a few games left against one another. An example would be the New Orleans Saints’ schedule, as the team has two games left against the Atlanta Falcons and one against the Carolina Panthers, in addition to the Week 12 showdown with the Rams. This also plays in the favor of a team like the Seattle Seahawks, improving the playoff odds if the team can bounce back from Week 11 and not let it become an anchor or punchline for the season.
[Featured Image by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images]
