The NFL playoff race always gets a little crazy down the stretch, and things could get especially crazy for the Seattle Seahawks this weekend.
The Seahawks needed a win over the Chicago Bears on Thursday night to keep their playoff hopes alive, and although it was a struggle at times, Seattle came out with a 6-3 victory. Thanks to the win, the Seahawks will likely have a chance to clinch the NFC West in Week 18, but it’s not guaranteed, and that’s because the Rams could still win the NFC West this weekend if they make the tiebreaker. THE STRENGTH OF VICTORY.
In what is easily the craziest Week 17 scenario to clinch the playoffs, the Rams could win the division if they potentially get help from several AFC teams, including the Bills and Bengals.
For this crazy scenario to come into play, here’s what would have to happen first:
- The Seahawks beat the Bears on Thursday night (Seahawks won 6-3)
- Rams beat Cardinals on Saturday night
If both things happen, the Rams would need to get at least 3.5 wins from the next six teams to take the tiebreaker strength (to get 3.5 wins from the group below, the Rams would need three wins and a tie, but the most realistic scenario would be to get four wins):
This means that if the Rams win on Saturday night, the Seahawks will be watching several AFC GAMES closely on Sunday to see if they will still be alive in the playoff race heading into Week 18.
The crazy thing here is that not only are all six teams playing at home, but three of them (Bills, Bengals and Commanders) are the favorites to win. The Browns and 49ers are underdogs, while the Packers-Vikings game has changed a couple of times this week as to who is the favorite.
The bottom line, however, is that if the Rams win on Saturday night, they might have to wait until Monday night to find out if they have clinched the NFC West.
If they fail to secure this week, it will set up a showdown in Los Angeles between the Seahawks and Rams in Week 18.
If you want to see the 14 decisive scenarios in play in the NFL during Week 17, you can do that here.
