Sunday is a pivotal day for the Seattle Seahawks playoff hopes. With the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams hitting the field in a morning showdown, the Seahawks will have a clear picture of what they need to do by the time they hit the field in the late game. Where do the Seahawks’ rooting interests lie as the playoff picture comes into focus on Sunday? The answer is more simple than you’d think.
There’s a 50/50 chance the Seahawks’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be meaningless by the time the two teams hit the field on Sunday. Should the Rams beat the 49ers, the Week 17 matchup between the Rams and Seahawks at Qwest Field would be for the NFC West crown and the playoff spot that goes with it. A Rams win over the 49ers renders the result of the Seahawks game moot and allows the Seahawks to control their own destiny in the final week of the season.
Simply put: root for the Rams. Should the 49ers win, the Seahawks would likely have to win out to make the playoffs. San Francisco battles the hapless Arizona Cardinals in Week 17 in a game the Niners should be clear favorites. If the Seahawks win only one of the next two games, with San Francisco winning both, the two teams would finish the season tied in the standings, with the 49ers holding the tiebreaker with five conference wins.
The best case scenario, and best hope for the Seahawks to make the playoffs, is a Rams win on Sunday and a Seahawks win over the Rams at Qwest Field in what will, essentially, be a one-game playoff with the NFC West title on the line. As good as rookie quarterback Sam Bradford has been, I’ll take the Seahawks’ odds at a raucous Qwest Field with the playoffs on the line.