NFL Playoff Standings: Seattle Seahawks Move Up, Take Big Step Toward Playoffs
NFL playoff standings look a bit better for the Seattle Seahawks. In the updated NFL playoff standings, the Seahawks actually moved up to No. 7 in the NFC. The Seahawks beat up on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, November 22, improving to 5-5 on the season with a 29-13 victory.
With Marshawn Lynch out with an injury, Thomas Rawls got to once again show what he can do as the starting running back. Rawls rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown, adding three catches for 46 yards and another touchdown through the air. It was the first time since 2006 (Shaun Alexander) that a Seahawks running back has rushed for more than 200 yards in a game.
Russell Wilson also made it look easy, completing 24-of-29 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns of his own. The team moved the ball at will, showing that some early-season struggles may become a thing of the past. Fans of other teams may point out that the Seattle Seahawks were playing the lowly San Francisco 49ers, but it still went into the win column.
Now the 5-5 Seahawks are tied with the 5-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seventh place in the latest NFL playoff standings. They are just behind the 6-4 Atlanta Falcons, the team that holds the second wild card in the NFC. The first wild card spot belongs to the 7-3 Minnesota Vikings so far, but things could easily shift even further in the final six weeks of the regular season.
The Carolina Panthers (10-0) and Arizona Cardinals (7-2) would be in line for the two NFC byes. The other divisional leaders, the Green Bay Packers (7-3) and New York Giants (5-5), would host first-round playoff games against the wild card teams. Currently the Packers hold the tie-breaker over the Vikings in the NFC North due to the head-to-head results.
The game between the Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night could shift the teams a bit. The Monday night game on November 23 also has the 9-0 New England Patriots hosting the 5-4 Buffalo Bills in a big AFC East battle. The Patriots could just about clinch the divisional title with a win in that game. For the Bills, it may have become must-win time for the team again.
In the NFL playoff standings for the AFC, the undefeated New England Patriots still hold on to the top seed. The 8-1 Bengals would be the No. 2 seed and the 8-2 Denver Broncos would be the No. 3 seed. The Bengals would drop to 8-2, though, if the team cannot beat the Cardinals on the road Sunday night. As for the other divisional leader, that would be the AFC South leading Indianapolis Colts. The team holds the tie-breaker over the 5-5 Houston Texans to stay in first place for now.
Coming into Sunday night, the two wild card teams are the 6-4 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 5-4 Buffalo Bills. Just behind those teams are the 5-5 New York Jets, 5-5 Kansas City Chiefs, and 5-5 Houston Texans. It’s not a stretch to state that there are a lot of NFL fans around the country rooting for the Patriots to beat the Bills on Monday night.
The New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady seem to be on a path to play in the Super Bowl again. For the Seattle Seahawks to earn a re-match from last year’s Super Bowl, the team is going to need to keep winning games. The Seahawks have some tough games coming up, with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12 at home, followed by the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13 and Baltimore Ravens in Week 14 on the road. The 2015 NFL playoff standings aren’t set by any means, but there is separation starting to occur that could lead to several teams clinching a spot during Week 13.
[Photo by: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images]
