From the moment the Los Angeles Rams clocked a win against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, the Seattle Seahawks’ path to clinching the elusive strength of victory tiebreaker started looking like a Herculean task. Those already slim hopes took a final, decisive hit when the Washington Commanders overcame the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, effectively sending the Seahawks (and, barring a miracle in Tampa, the Falcons) out of the playoff hunt.
While Week 17 kept fans glued to the drama of survival, let’s unravel the complex set of circumstances the Seahawks would have needed in Week 18 to claim the NFC West crown. Imagine for a moment that the Falcons had mastered clock management and boasted a kicker with a steely nerve from beyond 50 yards.
In a perfect world for the Seahawks, beyond taking down the Rams, here’s what they would have needed:
- The Chicago Bears to triumph over the Green Bay Packers
- New England Patriots stumping the Buffalo Bills
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeating the New Orleans Saints
- Atlanta Falcons overcoming the Carolina Panthers
- Miami Dolphins taking down the New York Jets
- Denver Broncos outsmarting the Kansas City Chiefs
- Arizona Cardinals beating the San Francisco 49ers
- Los Angeles Chargers winning against the Las Vegas Raiders
- Detroit Lions besting the Minnesota Vikings
Some of these scenarios were conceivable, especially with powerhouses like the Bills and Chiefs planning to rest their key players, which could tilt the scale in favor of the Patriots and Broncos. The Chargers versus Raiders game, typically a favorable matchup for the Chargers, carried the wildcard variable of playoff seedings depending on the outcomes of the Bengals and Steelers.
The biggest potential snag, however, lay in the Packers’ probable decision to play their starters against the Bears, a team that’s struggled to overcome Green Bay recently. This single factor alone might have unraveled Seattle’s plans.
Truthfully, expecting such a miraculous series of results was always an uphill battle for the Seahawks to snag the SOV tiebreaker in Week 18. The real frustration from their Week 17 elimination is perhaps the lost opportunity for a high-stakes showdown against the Rams. In a scenario where everything was on the line, starters from both sides would have turned the field into a battlefield, mimicking playoff intensity and drama. Instead, the final game now feels like it could resemble a preseason exhibition, leaving fans to ponder the ‘what could have beens’.
