Even if they fall to 6-8, Seattle Seahawks still have a path to the playoffs

Those losses to the Rams could have sealed the Seahawks fate

That isn't exactly breaking news, I know, but I already admitted I wasn't getting a Pulitzer anytime soon. Los Angeles is also 6-6, but with two of the wins coming over Seattle, the Hawks have to finish a game ahead of their division rivals. Luckily, that may not be as difficult as it may seem.

The Rams also face two very solid teams in their last five contests. They too will face the 49ers, in their case in the last game of the season. The Ravens are certainly a reasonable substitute for the challenge of facing the Eagles, so it won't be a cakewalk for the Rams, either. We'll know more about their chances quickly, as they visit Baltimore this Sunday.

The three matchups they'll face between those challenges are a bit easier than what the Seahawks will face, and two of those games will be at home. The Commanders and the Saints will visit Hollywood - okay, Inglewood - and then the guys with curlicues on their helmets will travel to New Jersey to play the Giants. The best of those teams is probably the 5-7 Saints, led by Derek Carr. I use the term "led" loosely. In most seasons, I'd be concerned that the 49ers would be starting people they pulled out of the stands in that Week 18 game, but they'll likely be battling the Eagles to the last snap for home-field advantage. That certainly plays out in favor of the Seahawks' chances.

So the Hawks will likely need some outside help, again, to make the postseason for the second year in a row. In 2023, the Lions were kind enough to gift the Seahawks a last-minute reprieve. Not that I'm complaining, but Seattle didn't exactly show much gratitude in their visit to Detroit this year. If Seattle drops to 6-8, they do have a path to the postseason. But it's one very rocky road. They'd do much better to blaze their own trail and steal a win in these next two weeks.

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