Seahawks win and they are in: Playoff picture for week 14

The 10-2 Seahawks need just one win to clinch a playoff spot in 2019. But here is how the playoff picture shapes up in week 14 overall.

The Seahawks have a pretty simple way to get to the playoffs: Win one game. They could lose their next three and then beat the 49ers in the final week of the season and still make the playoffs. That wouldn’t be a fun way to do it, or likely, but it is possible.

Because anything is possible with these Seahawks. If you started the season by telling a good friend who doesn’t like Seattle that the Seattle football team would be 10-2 through week 13 they would have likely asked a doctor friend of theirs to check you out for a concussion. A friend of a friend are usually nice people.

But here we sit with Seattle in first place in the NFC West at 10-2. The 49ers are also 10-2 but at this point, Seattle has the tie-breaker since they defeated the 49ers in week 10. San Francisco could still beat Seattle in week 17 and cause chaos in the playoff seedings should each team win every game they have left.

But what if other stuff happens.

Like if the Seahawks go 4-0 the rest of the way

If Seattle were to go 14-2, unlikely but the way this season has gone still a possibility, then they would be no worse than the number 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. They would be tied with the Saints. But if the Saints lose one game then the Seahawks would get the number 1 seed and have every game at home.

But what if Seattle loses one game?

This one gets a bit dicier based on which game the Seahawks were to lose. Seattle would make the playoffs no matter but going from a number 2 seed to a number 5 is in play. Should Seattle lose to the 49ers there is a chance the Seahawks go from a number 1 or 2 seed entering week 17 to a number 5 seed with an away game to start the postseason. If Seattle loses to any other team and then beats the 49ers, Seattle would still be the number 2 seed – at least – in the NFC.

If the Seahawks lost two games

It wouldn’t be the end of the world if Seattle went 2-2 to finish the season as they would still make the playoffs, but winning the NFC West is important. Should Russell Wilson and company lose two games and still beat the 49ers in week 17, there is still a good chance they win the division. But the 49ers would have to lose one more game as well. That is a possibility as San Francisco plays the Saints on the road in week 14. If Seattle loses two more games but one of those is to the 49ers in week 17, then most likely Seattle would be the 5 seed to start the postseason with a road game.

Ok, so what if the Seahawks go 1-3 the rest of the way

Again, with just one win the Seahawks make the playoffs and while it is far from ideal to start a season 10-2 and then finish 11-5 the Seahawks would be OK. In fact, they could still win the NFC West if the 49ers have the same meltdown, but only if Seattle wins the week 17 matchup. Otherwise, a 1-3 finish could have the Seahawks finish as the number 6 seed if the 49ers win one game and beat the Seahawks and the Vikings finish 4-0.

Worst case, Seattle goes 0-4

This is very unlikely but again, in the 2019 season, anything is possible with Seattle. Even with no wins the rest of the way, Seattle could still make the playoffs unless the Rams win out. Seattle would be the number 6 seed and have any game they play in the playoffs be on the road. Basically, the Seahawks have been so successful to start 2019, very very bad things would need to happen for them not to make the playoffs this year.