Seahawks have playoff spot all but locked up, but can clinch this weekend at Washington

There’s no doubt that the NFC is quite weak this year. There are only six teams above .500 in the entire conference and five of them are in the NFC South or NFC West. Compare that with the AFC, where the 8-5 Baltimore Ravens are currently out of a playoff spot and it’s mathematically possible for Baltimore to finish 11-5 and still miss the postseason even with the extra wild card.

So with that in mind, I’m pleased to announce that the Seattle Seahawks pretty much have a playoff spot secured. They are at 99% to get at least a wild card spot, and the big boost came not just from the win over the New York Jets but the Minnesota Vikings’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Seahawks are obviously gunning for the division but right now they’re the #5 seed. Here are the nine teams in realistic playoff contention and/or in the playoffs.

UPDATE: And the NFC East jokers as I forgot they’re a thing too and one of them beat the Seahawks.

All Seattle needs to do is win any one of their final three games and they’re in the playoffs. The Bears play the Vikings this Sunday so one of them will effectively be done if they lose and the Arizona Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles. If you’re a fan of ties... well have I got good news for you!

So don’t worry about missing the playoffs because it would take an unreal set of circumstances for Seattle to collapse. Focus on winning the NFC West.