The Blue and Red division went 3-1 in week 13, and is a virtual lock to send two teams to the playoffs, assuming that neither Arizona or Seattle lose more than two games the rest of the way.
4-8 St. Louis and 4-8 San Francisco will need a lot of help to make the postseason, but with only seven of 16 NFC teams carrying .500 records or better, anything can happen with four games remaining.
With Arizona’s win over Minnesota Thursday, Seattle is on pace to claim one of the two wildcard spots, but needs to win on Sunday to stay ahead of Atlanta and Tampa Bay. Seattle is essentially eliminated from taking the division, the only possible way for Seattle to win the NFC West crown would involve Arizona going 0-3 over their final three games while Seattle will need to go undefeated in their next four games. It can happen, but the odds are really, heavily against Seattle here.
Seattle travels to Baltimore this Sunday, and should return home with a win. While Baltimore has had a tough time against the pass this year (ranking 19th overall), things are a bit easier for the Ravens on the ground, as they allow 98 yards rushing per game, 10th best in the league. Against the four top-10 run defenses (Cincinnati, Carolina, Arizona, and Pittsburgh) Seattle has faced so far this season, the Seahawks ground attack averaged 25 carries for 132.5 yards per game and one touchdown. As it always goes with strength versus strength, something’s gotta give, and in the case of defenses against Seattle’s rushing attack, Seattle typically wins that battle.
Seattle’s reinvigorated defense, free from the struggles of the now departed Cary Williams, is playing their best ball of the season, and looks to be at the same stage, or close to where they were at this time last season. The passing game is taking off without force feeding the ball to Jimmy Graham, and as a result, the Doug Baldwin show has become a Sunday afternoon regular. And despite losing Marshawn Lynch with a sports hernia, the run game looks as good as ever with the latest frontman in Thomas Rawls. I do not like the Ravens’ chances this Sunday against a Seattle team who finally appears to have rediscovered their identity on both sides of the ball.
The Rams will play host to the Detroit Lions, who are coming off a soul-crushing loss to Green Bay, by way of a last second Hail Mary. Both the Rams and Lions can only make it a .500 season by winning out, and as they play each other Sunday morning, one of these teams is going to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, and the winning party won’t be very far behind. Neither team has much to play for other than pride, and as both teams also have head coaches on the figurative “hot seat”, everyone on the field and on the sidelines must find a way to prove to their respective brass they still deserve a spot when the offseason begins. The Rams fired their OC this week and must break in a new play caller, so don’t be surprised to see a low scoring kicker’s duel, or a blowout by the Lions, but a Rams’ victory would appear to be against the odds, but never count them completely while Todd Gurley is healthy and playing.
San Francisco begins the final month of their season on the road in Cleveland, facing an equally struggling team in the Browns. The matchup between Blaine Gabbert and Johnny Manziel may have once stopped the presses, but this one might actually stop the presses. If the Rams and Lions have next to nothing to play for, these two teams actually have nothing. This game could have a few highlight reel moments as neither team hangs their hat on any one thing and neither team has a clear strength so much as a lack of weaknesses in a given area, so there’s a chance for big plays even if this isn’t a weekly meeting of the stars. Cleveland is among the league’s worst run defenses while the 49ers boast the league’s 20th ranked rushing attack, led by Shaun Draughn as Carlos Hyde’s stress fracture in his foot will more than likely send Hyde to the IR before the end of the season.
Both teams have capable players, but both lack playmakers that can keep a defense honest or beat tight coverage in the passing game. Blown coverage may be the only way either side breaks free for a touchdown in this one, but a methodical drive or two resulting in a short rushing touchdown isn’t out of the question.
Once the dust settles this Sunday in the wild, wild NFC West, Seattle should join Arizona as the winning teams, while the Rams and 49ers may creep ever closer to a high draft pick. Assuming Seattle wins, they should be only one more win coupled with another loss from Atlanta/Tampa Bay to lock in a playoff berth. Arizona has already clinched the playoffs with their win over Minnesota, and is just one win and a Seattle loss away from clinching the division. If Seattle beats Baltimore, they will pull a half game ahead of Minnesota in the wild card race, and stay at least a game ahead of 6-6 Atlanta and Tampa Bay.
Lots of playoff positioning can be influenced this weekend, but only a Seattle loss would lock anything in, so the pressure is on to win.
While a division title and homefield advantage are out of the question, a wild card slot is Seattle’s to lose as they enter the final month of the regular season, and that’s a position many teams around the league would trade anything for.
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