Seattle Seahawks: Playoff Chances Improve with a Victory over St. Louis Rams

The Seattle Seahawks were far from perfect last night on Monday Night Football, but they were much better than the opposing St. Louis Rams, and they showed glimpses of why, after such a horrible start to the season, they might actually make the playoffs after all.

Last week I wrote an article explaining that while they still had a chance of getting to the postseason, it wasn't likely to happen. I still feel that way, but after last night, I'm starting to feel better about the Seahawks doing everything they can on their end to make it happen.

By soundly beating the Rams, the Seahawks kept pace with the Arizona Cardinals in terms of wins and losses, while still remaining a half game ahead of them in the division standings. The Cardinals beat the 49ers, handing them only their third loss all season, so this was a must win game for the Seahawks. Pretty much every game is, from here on out.

Among the other teams in competition for a wild card playoff spot, the Atlanta Falcons and the Detroit Lions are looking the best. The Falcons have a tough game remaining at New Orleans on Monday Night Football, but are likely to finish with ten wins on the season, which is out of reach for the Seahawks. 

The Lions have been shaky as of late, but potentially could run the table the rest of the season with the schedule they have. They will almost certainly beat Oakland next weekend, and their matchup with the Chargers could go either way, as the Chargers have been better these past couple weeks. The regular season finale at Green Bay could also go either way, depending on whether or not the Packers decide to rest their starters and not risk injury.

If both those teams win out, or even get to ten wins a piece, then the playoffs are out of reach for Seattle. But if not, then the odds would seem to be in their favor. 

The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants have been trading places atop the NFC East, and chances are one (probably the Cowboys) will fade, at the expense of the other, as the regular season draws to a close. The Chicago Bears are also technically still in it, but will need to start getting a lot more production from the quarterback spot than they currently are to even remain competitive down the stretch.

The Arizona Cardinals are also in the mix, but would take a back seat if they finish with the same record as the Seahawks, who could end up with a record of 9-7 if they somehow win out. Seattle plays the San Francisco 49ers in two weeks, who have looked more beatable as of late. If they beat Chicago and then San Francisco, they will suddenly find themselves above .500 for the first time all season, with a potentially big end of the season game versus the Cardinals.

Who would have predicted that six weeks ago?

If the Seahawks finish in a tie with either Detroit or Atlanta, then it would come down to who has the better conference record. Detroit already has one more loss within the NFC than Seattle, so the Seahawks would seem to have the advantage if that ends up being the case.

Marshawn Lynch has been amazing as of late, Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin have really stepped up their games and even the much ridiculed Tarvaris Jackson has really started to look comfortable as an NFL quarterback. I'm still not convinced that we will see the Seattle Seahawks going up against any playoff foes this season, but for the first time all season, I don't feel crazy for saying that it just might happen.