If you liked the drama of Seattle’s past two games, you will love it when the Seahawks and Packers resume a series that has been one of the NFL’s best non-division rivalries for two decades.
This will be their 16th meeting since 1999, the most for each franchise against a non-division foe. It’s their fourth playoff meeting — also making them each other’s most common postseason foe in those 21 seasons.
Continue reading Hawks, Pack resume one of NFL’s best rivalries
The Seahawks know how to win on the road in the wild-card round, as they proved again in Philadelphia. Now the question: Can they overcome their winless record in road divisional playoff games?
Russell Wilson beat the Eagles’ pressure, thanks in big part to rookie D.K. Metcalf’s record-setting game, and the Seattle defense sacked Philly’s passers seven times in a 17-9 win that was a duplicate of their Week 12 meeting in score, if not in other ways.
The Seahawks improved to 3-5 in road playoff games, all of the wins coming in the wild-card round. It was their first playoff win since the 2016 season, 26-6 vs. Detroit at home, and sent them to the divisional round for the seventh time in Pete Carroll’s 10 seasons. (Who wanted him fired again?)
The Seahawks are in the playoffs for the eighth time in Pete Carroll’s 10 seasons, heading on the road for a wild-card game for the fourth time and aiming for their third win in such games.
They got here thanks to a top-10 offense and the league’s No. 3 team in turnover margin. But this club also has the worst defense by a Seattle squad since 2000 — Mike Holmgren’s second season (6-10 record).
The Seahawks just got upset by a bad division rival at home and now face a big finale against a playoff-bound division foe. Sound familiar?
The same thing happened in 2015. In Week 16, they lost to the 6-8 Rams (Seattle’s offensive line played poorly in that one, too) and then (missing a bunch of key players) blew out 13-win Arizona 36-6 in the finale.
On Sunday night, the Hawks (11-4) will face the 49ers (12-3) for the NFC West title — and they will do so without Chris Carson and Duane Brown (and previously injured Rashaad Penny, Justin Britt and Will Dissly) and also still might be without defenders Jadeveon Clowney, Quandre Diggs and Shaquill Griffin (though Pete Carroll sounded optimistic about Clowney on Monday).
Marshawn Lynch is returning to replace Carson for a game or two (or however long the Hawks are in the playoffs) — and Lynch certainly could provide a big emotional lift to a downtrodden 11-4 team, even if Travis Homer carries most of the running load.
The Seahawks have built a 10-3 record largely on the strength of the league’s fifth-ranked offense (fourth in DVOA), but we just saw what happens when that unit does not play well enough against a good team and the defense does not get the takeaways.
Outside the win over Minnesota, Russell Wilson and the offense have struggled for the past month. The defense set up the wins over the 49ers and Eagles but then had its usual trouble against the Rams, and the offense scored a season-low six points in a 16-point loss that was Seattle’s third-worst margin of defeat in Wilson’s eight seasons.
The loss brought up the season-old question: Are the Hawks really the contender their record says they are?
Everything was set up for the Seahawks to take command of the NFC, but the offense failed to score and a 28-12 loss to the Rams means Seattle probably needs to win its final three to claim the division title.
This game was not imperative for any of the Hawks’ goals, but losing it just means they have little to no room for error to claim the spot they want for the postseason.
The Hawks still can win the NFC West by winning out — at Carolina, vs. Arizona and in a big home finale against San Francisco. A 13-3 record also would net them a bye. And they still could get the No. 1 seed if the Packers are involved in a 13-win tie with Seattle and New Orleans.
Continue reading Hawks lose margin for error, but goals still within reach
The Seahawks are a sickly, battered bunch who still can’t win by more than one score. But they’re also 10-2 and in total control of the No. 2 seed in the NFC — with sights set on No. 1.
The Hawks did it as they usually do — getting behind, then looking like they might pull away, only to win in a nail-biter.
Continue reading Sick and tired, Hawks take control of No. 2 seed
The Seahawks are hoping to accomplish three things Monday against Minnesota: (1) Get their 10th win; (2) take over first place in the NFC West; and (3) play a complete game for the first time all season.
That’s right: The Hawks are 9-2 — the fourth time they have at least nine wins in the first 11 games — and they still have not put together a total team game. The offense carried them in most of their first seven wins, and the defense has led the way (with eight takeaways) the past two games.
Monday, against surging Minnesota, with some major playoff positioning possibly on the line, would be a good time for both Seattle sides to show up.
As we wait for that big matchup, here’s how each position has done so far — and what it might mean for the future of the roster:
By the time the Seahawks host the Vikings on Monday night, they will know whether they are playing for first place in the NFC West and a spot among the conference’s top two.
And there’s a very good chance they will be — since the 49ers go to Baltimore in Week 13 to face MVP favorite Lamar Jackson and the juggernaut Ravens, who just blew out the Rams on Monday night.
If the 49ers lose and the Hawks can get enough offense to handle the surging Vikings, Seattle would move up to the second seed (or even top seed, if the Saints lose in Atlanta).
The Seahawks had been doubted after building a 7-2 record on the backs of a bunch of also-rans, but who is questioning them now after knocking off the 49ers, the NFL’s last unbeaten team?
Sure, the Hawks got a little lucky again — a missed overtime field goal saving them from another self-inflicted loss.
Some might say “It’s better to be lucky than good,” but you also could say, “Good teams win the close games.” And that is what the Seahawks have done on the way to an 8-2 record. The Seahawks are now 5-0 in games decided by four points or less and they have rallied from 10 down to win three times, most in the NFL.
Continue reading A little lucky, a little good, a little 8-2 record
CHAWK TALK: Everything being said about the Seahawks 