SEATTLE — The road to the playoffs has become quite challenging for the Seattle Seahawks, especially following their recent defeat. After a close 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Seahawks’ chances of making the postseason have plummeted to just 24%. The turning point in the game came with a crucial late touchdown pass from Sam Darnold to Justin Jefferson, coupled with a game-clinching interception thrown by Seattle’s Geno Smith.

Had the Seahawks emerged victorious, they could have solidified their position in the NFC West by winning their final pair of matches. However, their fate is now largely dependent on the outcomes of other games. The Los Angeles Rams, who currently lead the division, have the potential to eliminate Seattle from contention if they secure a win against the Arizona Cardinals this coming Saturday.

“It’s difficult knowing that our destiny isn’t completely in our control at the moment,” said head coach Mike Macdonald. “Still, there’s a lot of football left to be played. With a couple of fortunate breaks, we can find ourselves back in a competitive position.”

Just two weeks prior, the Seahawks had held a one-game lead in the NFC West and boasted better than a 50% likelihood of making it to the playoffs. Now, they trail the Rams by a game, who have achieved their fourth consecutive victory against the New York Jets.

There remains a glimmer of hope for Seattle to take the division title should the Rams falter on Saturday. “We need to focus on winning our remaining games and let everything else unfold as it will,” linebacker Ernest Jones IV remarked. “We need a bit of luck to get in, but it’s a tough situation for sure.”

The Seahawks can still clinch the division based on strength-of-victory tiebreakers against the Rams, though this scenario seems exceptionally unlikely. They would need losses from teams like San Francisco, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Buffalo, while various other teams such as Denver, Miami, Atlanta, and Arizona would need to win their remaining games.

The recent loss has also dashed their hopes for a wild-card spot. Compounding their troubles, the Seahawks left Lumen Field with a disappointing record of 3-6 this season, which marks only the third time since the stadium opened in 2002 that the team has failed to maintain a winning record at home—similar to poor showings in 2008 and 2021.

Next, Seattle will face the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, a team currently riding a nine-game losing streak. “We need to win two games, but it all starts with the first one,” Smith stated. “Chicago may not have the best record, but film shows they’re a tough contender with significant talent. We need to be mentally prepared for this road game, especially traveling over Christmas and coming off a short week.”