Here we go — one week left to determine if the Seahawks return to the postseason, or if they miss out on the playoffs for a second straight year, which would be the first time that has happened in the 13-year Pete Carroll era.
Seattle stayed alive with a 23-6 win over the New York Jets Sunday, a game that might have lacked drama, but maybe happily so for a Seahawks team that needed a dominant performance after three straight losses, and five of six overall.
Let’s look at what that game meant and what is ahead in our weekly Four Downs with Seahawks beat reporters Bob Condotta and Adam Jude.
It’s the most important game of the season for the Seahawks Sunday against the Rams — can they do it? And can the Lions knock off the Packers at Lambeau?
Condotta: Any game against the Rams is always tricky, no matter the records of either team. And the addition of Baker Mayfield changes the dynamic some from when they last met on Dec. 4, a 27-23 Seattle comeback win in California. But this is obviously a game the Seahawks should win and it would rank as one of the most disappointing losses of the Carroll era if they don’t.
As for the Lions, they are battling a lot of history, including that the tandem of Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 18-1 in December and January since LaFleur took over as head coach in 2019, and 4-0 this year. And for all anyone knows, this could be Rodgers’ last game at Lambeau Field. It’ll be a tall order for Detroit. But for the Seahawks, just control what you can control, right?
Jude: The good news for the Seahawks is the Lions have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL in the second half of the season, winning seven of their last nine games after a 1-6 start. The bad news: The Packers have been the hottest team in the NFL over the past month, winning four straight to get to 8-8 and entering this week as a 4.5-point favorite at home. I wouldn’t bet against the Packers this week, but at the same time, you know the Lions desperately want to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. It should be a heck of a game.
Do the Seahawks need to get in the playoffs for this season to be a success?
Jude: It’s difficult to offer a definitive answer on this. On the one hand, the Seahawks raised the expectations for what they could be when they sat atop the division at 6-3 midway through the season. It felt right to dream big at that time. Then, of course, they nose-dived and, for a long stretch, looked little like a playoff contender. Now it they’ve flipped again, rebounding with a resounding victory over the Jets to get back in the playoff discussion. If they get to 9-8 but don’t qualify for the playoffs, is that still a successful season? You could make a good case either way, but considering this team’s outlook coming into the season, nine wins is an achievement.
Condotta: In the big picture, this is a season with a lot of positives no matter what happens now. Seattle found out it has a lot of young players who should be significant contributors for years to come and that Geno Smith is indeed a quarterback the Seahawks can build an offense around. And then there’s the huge surprise that the first-round pick from Denver is now guaranteed to be no lower than fifth overall and could be as high as second. So, if you’re taking the long view, a lot has gone right. But from where the Seahawks were at 6-3 and leading the NFC West — something Carroll said at the time was no surprise to him — not making the playoffs would be a significant disappointment. And while that might not impact the future of the franchise much, it’s definitely meaningful to the coaches and players who grind from July to January hoping for a big payoff at the end.
How will the defense manage without middle linebacker Jordyn Brooks?
Jude: Brooks faces a long recovery after injuring his ACL in the first half against the Jets, and the Seahawks will certainly miss his presence in the middle of the defense. The Seahawks have been thin at linebacker all season, and they’ll have to rely now on Tanner Muse, who had played a total of 22 snaps on defense in the first 15 games of the season. Cody Barton slides over to middle linebacker and will be responsible for relaying play calls to the rest of the defense. It’s a tall task for both of those guys, but they seemed to play well in the second half Sunday. The Seahawks really have no other options going into the season finale.
Condotta: I’ll second all of the above while noting that Barton also has been playing the most consistently that he has in his career over the last few weeks. And it helps that the Rams come in with one of the worst offenses in the NFL, ranked 31st in yards and 26th in points after Sunday. Depth really becomes an issue now as one more injury would require Seattle to call on someone who has not played a snap at linebacker all season (such as Jon Rhattigan) to fill in. And if Seattle makes the playoffs, opponents will obviously look to see what they can exploit in the Seahawks linebackers.
What kind of reception do you expect for Bobby Wagner in his return to Seattle?
Condotta: As favorable as possible. Wagner is one of the greatest players in Seahawks history and had it been up to him, he’d have played his entire career in Seattle. I can’t imagine there won’t be anything but undying love sent his way Sunday — at least until the game begins, when one intangible factor the Seahawks will have to overcome is how the Rams will want to win this one for Wagner.
Jude: At minimum, it should be a warm reception — certainly much different from the way Russell Wilson was greeted in his return way back in Week 1. Much, much different. And, really, it should be so much more for Wagner, who was respected and admired as much as anyone who has ever played for the Seahawks. But given the playoff implications, and given the state of the Seahawks-Rams rivalry, Wagner’s return isn’t the preeminent storyline this week. There will be a day to properly acknowledge Wagner for all he meant to the Seahawks, but that’ll have to come at another time.