The Thursday night meeting between the Rams and Seahawks had plenty on the line.
Two 11-3 squads up against each other in a primetime contest with just three games left on the regular-season slate. Regulation wasn’t enough to determine the winner, with the Seahawks winning an absolute thriller in overtime on a gutsy two-point call despite a touchdown on the opening drive in the extra period from the Rams.
With the 38-37 win, the Seahawks officially clinched a playoff spot and put themselves in the driver’s seat for the NFC West crown and the No. 1 seed, which would return a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Seattle (12-3) moves one game ahead of Los Angeles (11-4) with just two games left on the schedule.
The Seahawks control their own destiny now with games ahead against the Panthers and 49ers who have playoff stakes of their own to play for. The Rams have the Falcons and Cardinals ahead, two teams that are both already eliminated from postseason contention. The Bears and 49ers remain alive for the NFC’s top seed, but they will need help to claim the first-round bye, just like L.A. Per The Athletic, the Seahawks now have a 53% chance at the NFC’s top seed, while their division foes in the Rams and 49ers have a 21% shot apiece.
After a wild Thursday Night Football contest, here’s a look at how the NFL playoff picture looks heading into the weekend (note: all playoff chances are courtesy of Next Gen Stats):
NFC playoff picture
| SEED | TEAM | PLAYOFF % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seahawks (12-3) | CLINCHED |
| 2 | Bears (10-4) | 80% |
| 3 | Eagles (9-5) | >99% |
| 4 | Buccaneers (7-7) | 79% |
| 5 | Rams (11-4) | CLINCHED |
| 6 | 49ers (10-4) | 98% |
| 7 | Packers (9-4-1) | 88% |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 8 | Lions (8-6) | 35% |
| 9 | Panthers (7-7) | 22% |
| 10 | Cowboys (6-7-1) | <1% |
| --- | ELIMINATED | --- |
| 11 | Vikings (6-8) | 0% |
| 12 | Falcons (5-9) | 0% |
| 13 | Saints (4-10) | 0% |
| 14 | Commanders (4-10) | 0% |
| 15 | Cardinals (3-11) | 0% |
| 16 | Giants (2-12) | 0% |
AFC playoff picture
| SEED | TEAM | PLAYOFF % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Broncos (12-2) | CLINCHED |
| 2 | Patriots (11-3) | >99% |
| 3 | Jaguars (10-4) | 98% |
| 4 | Steelers (8-6) | 61% |
| 5 | Chargers (10-4) | 94% |
| 6 | Bills (10-4) | >99% |
| 7 | Texans (9-5) | 96% |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 8 | Colts (8-6) | 13% |
| 9 | Ravens (7-7) | 39% |
| --- | ELIMINATED | --- |
| 10 | Chiefs (6-8) | 0% |
| 11 | Dolphins (6-8) | 0% |
| 12 | Bengals (4-10) | 0% |
| 13 | Jets (3-11) | 0% |
| 14 | Browns (3-11) | 0% |
| 15 | Raiders (2-12) | 0% |
| 16 | Titans (2-12) | 0% |
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
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- Prime Video Rules Analyst Says Refs Missed Call That Wiped Out Rams Touchdown
- Amazon Prime 'TNF‘ Pregame Show Had to Censor Marshawn Lynch So Much
- Is Davante Adams Playing Tonight? Rams Make Decision on Star WR Ahead of Game vs. Seahawks
This article was originally published on www.si.com as How NFL Playoff Picture Looks After Seahawks’ Epic Win Over Rams on ‘TNF’.