This is going to be a quick update; I'm up way too late for someone who has to work in the morning. Instead, we'll be doing everything in bullet-point format:

• The Seahawks dropped, yet again, to 15th in the draft order after crushing the Bears on Saturday. Once again, it was damn worth it to see 330 lbs. of Red Bryant high-step into the endzone like that.
• Because of the number of teams that already have nine losses, the Seahawks will pretty much find themselves out of the top 10 no matter how the rest of the season plays out. Unless a lot of bad teams win their remaining two games, that is.
• Speaking of bad teams, the Colts, Dolphins, Redskins, and Browns - all teams that need a QB as badly as we do - have records of 5-9 or worse. Meaning it'll be well nigh impossible to draft in front of any of these teams unless we trade up.
• The Colts' win over the Titans makes the top of the order a lot more interesting, although the Colts still hold a big advantage. Only the Rams and Vikings are left in the running for the first overall pick, and since the AFC South has been so sickly this year, one of those teams would essentially have to lose out while the Colts win out in order to snatch the #1 pick away. Especially since all four AFC-S teams play divisional games the rest of the season, so there's no chance for their overall record to gain any more than 4 wins.

Here's how the draft order looks this week:

1. Colts (1-13, 120-104 SOS)

2. Vikings (2-12, 127-97 SOS)

3. Rams (2-12, 132-92 SOS)

4. Jaguars (4-10, 117-107 SOS)

5. Browns (4-10, 122-102 SOS)

6. Buccaneers (4-10, 127-97 SOS)

7. Redskins (5-9, 105-119 SOS)

8. Panthers (5-9, 113-111 SOS)

9. Dolphins (5-9, 116-108 SOS)

10. Bills (5-9, 117-107 SOS)

11. Chiefs (6-8, 112-112 SOS)

12. Eagles (6-8, 115-109 SOS)

13. Titans (7-7, 104-120 SOS)

14. Cardinals (7-7, 105-119 SOS)

**15. Seahawks (7-7, 114-110 SOS)**

16-17. Chargers (7-7, 116-108 SOS, 2-2 Div.)

16-17. Raiders (7-7, 116-108 SOS, 2-2 Div.)

18. Giants (7-7, 118-106 SOS, 2-3 Div.)

19. Bears (7-7, 118-106 SOS, 2-2 Div.)

20. Cowboys (8-6, 105-119 SOS)

21. Bengals (8-6, 108-116 SOS)

22. Jets (8-6, 110-114 SOS)

23. Broncos (8-6, 115-109 SOS)

24. Falcons (9-5, 106-118 SOS)

25. Lions (9-5, 120-104 SOS)

TEAMS THAT HAVE CLINCHED:

Ravens (10-4)
Steelers (10-4)
Texans (10-4)
49ers (11-3)
Patriots (11-3)
Saints (11-3)
Packers (13-1)

(Strength of Schedule is the total win-loss record of every opponent on a team's schedule. Divisional opponents are counted twice since they appear on the schedule twice. Division record breaks any ties, followed by a coinflip; head-to-head records are not considered. Teams that reach the playoffs draft based on their postseason finish, so they are excluded from the draft order.)

Obviously, there's a lot riding on next week's games that have nothing to do with where we draft. On that note, here's how we want things to pan out during the holiday games:

HOU @ IND: Operating on the assumption that whoever gets the #1 pick will go straight for Andrew Luck, I'd much rather he end up in the AFC and not in the NFC, certainly not on a division rival. Go Texans.

DEN @ BUF: The Bills are one of the only teams we could theoretically get in front of if we both finish 7-9. Go Bills.

ARI @ CIN: Playoff aspirations aside, a Cardinals win would add two wins to our SOS while a Bengals win would only add 1. Go Bengals.

JAX @ TEN: The Jags are now officially out of reach, and the only way we can get in front of Tennessee is if they outwin us. Go Titans.

OAK @ KC: The Raiders did us absolutely no favors last week against the Lions. They must be punished for their betrayal. Go Chiefs.

MIA @ NE: Miami is another team we just might be able to leapfrog if they happen to win out. Go Dolphins.

NYG @ NYJ: One of the two roads into the playoffs involves us, the Giants, and the Falcons all finishing 9-7, and us getting in because of a superior divisional record. Go Giants.

STL @ PIT: One more Rams win guarantees they can't get the #1 pick. Go Rams. Who the hell are we kidding, they're gonna lose this thing by 40.

MIN @ WAS: We may not be able to leapfrog the Redskins, but at least we can hope they get pushed further back down the line. Go Redskins.

TB @ CAR: Both teams are pretty set at the QB spot, so both could make decent trade partners. Either way.

CLE @ BAL: Inconsequential from a draft standpoint, but just to keep a first-round bye out of Pittsburgh's hands, Go Ravens.

SD @ DET: If the Lions win, we're pretty much doomed. Go Chargers.

PHI @ DAL: Because of the leapfrog potential, Go Eagles.

CHI @ GB: The Bears are not mathematically out of playoff contention yet, but I honestly don't know how they'd get in. Just to be safe, Go Packers.

ATL @ NO: The Falcons losing out would give hope to the three-way tie explained with the Giants. Go Saints.

So there you have it. By this time next week, we'll know if we still have a shot at a wild card berth, or if we really do need to focus our attention to where we're drafting. This is quite possibly the most important week of the season for the Seahawks, because in order to even have a chance at the playoffs, at least two dominoes are going to have to fall our way. Have a safe and happy holiday, and I'll see you back here next Tuesday!