The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Chicago Bears 6-3 on Thursday Night Football. The victory keeps Seattle alive in the playoff hunt, with a 9-7 record, while the Bears lose their tenth consecutive game. But, even if the win keeps them afloat, the Seahawks still need many things to go their way if they want to make the playoffs. They will be watching the outcomes this weekend, hoping that the games can break their way, and none more than their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams. The Seattle Seahawks need the Rams to lose this Sunday, so their Week 18 game will be for the division title.
Seattle Seahawks Defeat Chicago Bears
The Seattle Seahawks win over the Chicago Bears was not pretty. The game had nine total points, and neither team had over 265 yards. It was an ugly game where Chicago fans ended up booing both teams. NFL fans have become accustomed to ugly Thursday night games, with the short week and scheduling of bad teams, but some of those games reached a “so bad it’s good” territory. One notorious example is the Broncos vs Colts game on Thursday night in 2022. That game was a low-scoring, field goal battle, but had interceptions, fumbles, big plays, and an overtime finish.
This game between the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears had a close final score but mostly consisted of back-and-forth punts. The best drive of the game came on the opening possession. Geno Smith led the Seahawks offense 71 yards down the field in 11 plays. Myers kicked a field goal to give Seattle a 3-0 lead. But after this drive, there were six straight punts, and four came off three-and-outs. The Bears then went on a 13-play, 67-yard drive to tie the game at three. Seattle responded with another field goal drive, making it 6-3 heading into halftime. No team would score again in the second half.
There were seven more punts in the second half, with one fumble from the Seahawks. The Bears had one final drive with a chance to tie or win the game. On a 4th and 10, instead of attempting a long field goal to send the game, Chicago went for it and a Caleb Williams interception gave the Seattle Seahawks the 6-3 win. It was not pretty, but Seattle won the game, doing what they needed to do to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Now, they need a bit of help from other teams.
Seattle Needs a Rams Loss
For the Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC West, the scenario is simple. They need the Arizona Cardinals to defeat the Los Angeles Rams. This would make the Week 18 matchup between the Rams and Seahawks for the division title. The Cardinals have nothing to play for, but they already beat the Rams earlier this season 41-10 and could do it again. If it comes down to the Week 18 matchup, it should be a good one. Seattle and LA went to overtime in their last meeting, and with the playoffs on the line, it could be a highly anticipated game.
The Complicated Scenario
There is also a much more complicated scenario where the Seattle Seahawks could make the playoffs even if the Rams beat the Cardinals. They would still need to beat the Rams in Week 18 but would rely on a strength of victory tiebreaker. This means that Seattle would need to have a stronger win percentage of their opponents than the Rams. So, if the Rams win or tie against the Cardinals, the Seahawks will need the Vikings, Bills, 49ers, Commanders, Bengals, and Browns to combine for less than 3.5 wins.
If these teams’ win total is over 3.5 in Week 17 and the Rams win or tie, then they will clinch the division. So, the easiest scenario for the Seattle Seahawks is to root for a Los Angeles loss, but if that does not happen, they will need many games to break their way.
Our Partners
