The Seahawks remain alive in the NFC playoff race, but in a crowded group of both NFC West and wild-card contenders, there’s no guarantee they’ll finish the regular season with a postseason berth.
Seattle comes into a Week 16 matchup against the Vikings with an 8-6 record, good enough to remain in contention for both the division title and a wild-card spot. But as of right now, the squad would be on the outside looking in.
MORE: Updated NFL playoff picture for Week 16
Before losing to Green Bay last week, the Seahawks were getting hot at the right time, as they took a four-game winning streak into the Week 15 contest.
How could Seattle make the NFL playoff bracket? Here’s a look at the Seahawks’ paths to the postseason entering their Week 16 matchup against Minnesota.
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Seahawks playoff picture
A 30-13 loss to the Packers in Week 15 halted the Seahawks’ momentum and also removed them from the current NFC playoff picture. The Rams, also 8-6, took over as the top team in the NFC West in Week 15.
Entering Week 16, Seattle would be the No. 8 seed in the NFC, just missing the cut from the seven-team playoff picture in the conference. The Vikings, Packers and Commanders, all of whom own better records than the Seahawks, are the three wild-card teams — at least for now.
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Lions | 12-2 |
| 2 | Eagles | 12-2 |
| 3 | Buccaneers | 8-6 |
| 4 | Rams | 8-6 |
| 5 | Vikings | 12-2 |
| 6 | Packers | 10-4 |
| 7 | Commanders | 9-5 |
| 8 | Seahawks | 8-6 |
| 9 | Falcons | 7-7 |
| 10 | Cardinals | 7-7 |
| 11 | 49ers | 6-8 |
| 12 | Cowboys | 6-8 |
| 13 | Saints | 5-9 |
Because the Rams beat the Seahawks, 26-20, in the two squads’ only meeting so far this season, Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker over Seattle. But with the Seahawks and Rams also still scheduled to face off in Week 18, the NFC West is set up for a dramatic finish — and that’s without factoring in the 7-7 Cardinals, or even the 49ers, who still hold slim postseason chances at 6-8.
With Seattle trailing Washington by one game for the No. 7 seed, its most direct path to the postseason is likely winning the NFC West. That would require either beating the Rams to decide the division in Week 18 or winning down the stretch as Los Angeles loses multiple games and the other two NFC West teams fail to make late comebacks.
The Commanders’ final three matchups come against Philadelphia, Atlanta and Dallas, so its feasible that they fall from their wild-card spot. But for the time being, Seattle’s playoff chances appear to heavily rely on winning its division in a close race.
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Seahawks remaining schedule
Minnesota, which has already clinched a playoff spot, is a tough draw for Seattle in Week 16. But the Seahawks will then face a struggling Bears team next week, with the showdown against Los Angeles concluding their regular season schedule.
| Date | Matchup | Opponent’s current record | Time (ET) |
| Dec. 22 | vs. Vikings | 12-2 | 4:05 p.m. |
| Dec. 26 | at Bears | 4-10 | 8:15 p.m. |
| TBD | at Rams | 8-6 | TBD |
Seahawks updated playoff chances
Entering Week 16, ESPN’s power index gives Seattle a 36.0% chance of making the playoffs, with a 34.4% chance at winning the NFC West.
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