The Seahawks are in form for the playoffs

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Everything seemed out. They lost several players who are already legends in the history of the team. They promised to be a first team in a hitting league. Their hiring of Brian Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator was uninteresting. Their project was curious and most of their additions to free agencies were minor. They started 0-2. Earl Thomas, who may have lost the card of fame one day or the other, in week 4, loses security.

But here's the truth about the NFL: An excellent coach-trainer combination can cover just about everything else.

The 6-5 Seahawks will not remind anyone of the classic championship teams of the Pete Carroll-Russell Wilson era. But they managed a series of four very tough games that looked like a team with ghost cards. Football Outsiders give the Seahawks a 74.2% chance of qualifying for the playoffs after a huge win Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

How did it happen? The Seahawks' draft class did not have much impact outside of scorer Michael Dickson, who was very good. None of their additions of free agents has become an unexpected cornerstone. They are 31st in pass attempts with Wilson, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, which seems counter-intuitive. Yet here they are.

The Seahawks have certain assets. They lead the NFL in rushing yards with three defenders in the lead role, led by Chris Carson. They have been excellent to avoid turnovers; their nine turnarounds are the least numerous of the NFL. Wilson did not go much, but he was great when asked. His mark of 112 would be the best of his career. The defense was not excellent but it was enough and forced 17 turnovers.

Carroll deserves a lot of credit. He is 85-53-1 with the Seahawks for a reason. There was a lot of outside noise about the Seahawks before the season and in a difficult start, but Carroll's ability to motivate his team and convince him to participate is fully highlighted this season. Carroll is a little unusual among NFL coaches, with his more academic enthusiasm (or maybe it's just an impression left to USC and we can not not shake), but he has shown time and time again that he was the NFL is the best.

It is helpful to have Wilson as a close friend. Against the Packers, Wilson threw a touchdown with a time remaining at 5:18. Sunday against the Panthers, Wilson scored the bottom of points 4 and 3 – to return to Carroll, even if he does not call the attack, no team led by a conservative coach would ever try to sink deep into this situation – and hit David Moore for a 35-yard touchdown. It was a brilliant take of Moore and an excellent piece of Wilson too. Wilson then hit Tyler Lockett for 43 yards on the third and fifth assists to put the winning back on the line.

Sometimes football can be easy to analyze. If you have a great coach and a quarter, you will never be so bad. Carroll and Wilson won a Super Bowl together. Wilson has already been a MVP candidate. But this season, even with a modest 6-5 record, could be the ultimate proof of their value.

It's hard to take a 10-0 lead and lose 45-10. The good thing, of course, was Larry Fitzgerald. He scored his fifth touchdown in the last five games of the Cardinals. He does not have a huge season (the irregular game did not help) but remains an excellent professional producing in a terrible team.

Jared Cook's one-handed attack is one of the best you'll see this season. At 31, Cook is probably not the cornerstone of rebuilding the Raiders, but his season is remarkable.

30. San Francisco 49ers (2-9, LW: 29)

The story of Reuben Foster should highlight the situation of the 49ers at the time of John Lynch-Kyle Shanahan. There were many missteps, the most glaring of which was that Foster had stuck in her first spousal abuse case, to give them a bad image later. Yahoo's Charles Robinson broke Lynch's moves and, aside from the Jimmy Garoppolo trade that dropped in the 49ers' lap, it's not too pretty.

29. New York Jets (3-8, LW: 30)

Jamal Adams was on the field again Sunday and he became one of the best protections of the NFL. Adams was the sixth pick in the 2017 draft and that seems like a great choice for the Jets.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8, LW: 25)

Benching Blake Bortles was probably coming. I'm not sure how to reconcile that with the offensive coordinator who sacked Nathaniel Hackett the same day. Hackett did not have a good year, but he does not seem to be the problem. Is it the quarterback or the faulty coordinator? Was it really both? Or is it just Doug Marrone who blames everyone except himself?

27. New York Giants (3-8, LW: 26)

Saquon Barkley has 1,206 rushing yards and 845 receiving yards. Only Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk had 1,000 yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. Barkley might not get there, but being as close as a rookie is amazing.

26. Buffalo Bills (4-7, PO: 28)

Josh Allen continues to show why the Bills put him in the top 10. He accumulated 99 yards and made huge games with his legs. He was a better runner than expected. He also continues to play with his arm, although regularity has not yet arrived. Yet, bills must feel good at this stage.

25. Cincinnati Bengals (5-6, LW: 19)

This start of 4-1 seems to have taken place a few seasons ago. The Bengals are sliding fast and Andy Dalton has finished his season. Jeff Driskel has only 36 career passes, but he is next. This is where I most often mentioned that the coach may have problems, but I gave up on trying to predict the next step for the Bengals with respect to Marvin Lewis.

24. The buccaneers of Tampa Bay (4-7, LW: 27)

Slot receiver Adam Humphries is becoming a reliable part of the Bucs offensive. Over the past four weeks, he has four touchdowns and 19 targets out of 22. The Tampa Bay offense has plenty of options, but Humphries continues to find a way to grab the attention of his quarterbacks no matter what. who it is.

23. Detroit Lions (4-7, LW: 21)

The Lions Thanksgiving Plan was strangely conservative. It's understandable that they want to get the ball quickly against the Bears' rush, but it did not work. They essentially turned Matthew Stafford into a check-down artist, and if that's the desired offensive, there are many other cheaper quarters capable of playing that role. There is just not a lot of creativity coming out of Detroit this season.

22. Miami Dolphins (5-6, LW: 22)

Adam Gase was criticized for his game after the Colts drew 24-24. Backed up at their own 6-yard line, the Dolphins ran to the center with no win, they started a short pass that was incomplete, then another run at the center that practically conceded a deep kick in their own territory with about three minutes remaining. It's just bad.

21. Atlanta Falcons (4-7, LW: 20)

Matt Ryan leads the NFL in assists, with a higher success percentage and a lower interception percentage than his MVP season. He also has a passer rating of 110.6. It's really hard to be 4-7 with such a productive quarterback.

20. Cleveland Browns (4-6-1, LW: 24)

Baker Mayfield made excellent plays on Sunday. He was going to throw for more than 400 yards and maybe five or six touchdowns if the match against the Bengals was competitive for the last quarter and a half. He does not look like a recruit. He is the star that the Browns are desperate for.

19. Denver Broncos (5-6, LW: 23)

Here are the next four Broncos games: the Bengals, the 49ers, the Browns, the Raiders. Three games on the road, but all teams can be defeated. Then, in the 17th week, they will have the Chargers at home and it is possible that Los Angeles will be stuck in the AFC's fifth-ranked list by then. I do not know how good the Broncos are, but they are legitimately in the wild-card race. It is also interesting to wonder if Vance Joseph is saving his work. It would be remarkable.

18. Green Bay Packers (4-6-1, LW: 17)

I do not think the Packers need a complete overhaul of their list. There is talent. They need a change of direction, although it is far from being a unique idea. With the right coaches, Packers can regain competitor status. This is not a disastrous situation. They just need a shakeup at the top.

17. Titans of Tennessee (5-6, LW: 16)

The Titans defeat on Monday night was tough, but take a look at what's left of them: Jets, Jaguars, Giants, Redskins, Colts. It's very easy to talk about the Titans with four wins in a row and a 9-6 record against the Colts in the 17th week.

16. Philadelphia Eagles (5-6, LW: 18)

The best thing the Eagles have for them is that three of their remaining games are against the Redskins (twice) and the Cowboys. It's not easy to win all three, let alone beat the Rams and Texans in their other games, but they will have a direct chance to climb in the overall standings of the NFC East. Can they benefit? Hard to say yes based on what we've seen this season, but it's hard to miss a defending champion with so much talent.

15. Washington Redskins (6-5, LW: 12)

I will not throw Washington. Colt McCoy did not play well on his first start, but it was a tough task in a short week on the road. He will have extra days to prepare for this week's game, as will the coaches. The Cowboys should be considered the favorites of the NFC East, but do not count completely Washington.

14. Colts of Indianapolis (6-5, LW: 15)

Darius Leonard got off early, grabbed his leg and was brought back to the locker room. The Colts fans were simply thrilled to see the rookie linebacker return to the field, then he had 10 tackles and a sack in the win. Leonard was an excellent choice and was part of the defensive rookie group of the year in the NFL.

13. Baltimore Ravens (6-5, LW: 14)

Stories like Gus Edwards are part of the NFL's strengths. Edwards played three seasons in Miami and another at Rutgers. He totaled 1,690 academic yards, 713 last season with Rutgers. It had not been manufactured, probably because his academic career was nothing remarkable. Then, suddenly, he rushed for 100 yards in consecutive weeks. He is the Ravens' second rookie to do that, joining Jamal Lewis. He had 15 careers before his great opportunity and was virtually anonymous. Now, many fantasy owners are grateful to a guy they had never heard of two weeks ago. What a funny story.

12. Carolina Panthers (6-5, LW: 9)

The Panthers still play in the Browns (it's not so easy anymore) and the Saints twice. They probably can not lose all three and participate in the playoffs, not to mention the other games against the Buccaneers or the Falcons. Even if they had lost both to the Saints, they would not be sure to be eliminated at 9-7. It's beautiful a team as good as the Panthers, who started 6-2, find themselves in such a place.

11. Seattle Seahawks (6-5, LW: 13)

The Seahawks had to survive for several games against the Chargers, Rams, Packers and Panthers. They did that. They still have matches against the Vikings and the Chiefs, but they are at home. They also have two games against the 49ers and one against the Cardinals. Seattle is in shape with five games to play.

10. Dallas Cowboys (6-5, LW: 11)

I still do not want the Amari Cooper trade to be a success. However, if the Cowboys win the division, it will be difficult to oppose it. We've seen Cooper play big, and it's easier when the Redskins side does not tackle, but we'll see if he can be consistently productive the rest of the way.

9. Minnesota Vikings (6-4-1, LW: 10)

Kirk Cousins has the highest end-of-career percentage and, by three tenths of a point, his best pass mark. He is about to blow by his career in touch. And – this will surprise many people – he has the lowest percentage of interceptions in his career. He was on fire Sunday night against the Packers. The cousins did not play well in a huge game against the Chicago Bears two weeks ago, but otherwise that's what the Vikings paid off. It's hard to blame him that the Vikings have already lost four times, even though many people will do it anyway.

8. Houston Texans (8-3, LW: 8)

A defeat against the Patriots in the first week is problematic in terms of their ability to get a pass in the first round. New England has the tiebreaker face to face. But after a 0-3 start, who would ever have thought we were going to talk about the Texans' participation in the playoff game?

7. Los Angeles Chargers (8-3, LW: 7)

The mistake with Melvin Gordon played him at all. The Chargers were obviously planning to sit outside and should have guessed they would defeat the Cardinals without him. The NFL teams do not like to describe things this way, but it worked for Matt Nagy sitting Khalil Mack against the Bills and Jets. Once Gordon played, I did not have a big problem with the Chargers who left him with a 28-10 lead early in the third quarter, or giving him the ball on the back of a catcher position. Criticizing Anthony Lynn for that is hindsight; once Gordon played, he should have been used normally. The problem was that Gordon should not have played at all. It could cost the Chargers a shot at AFC West.

6. Chicago Bears (8-3, LW: 6)

Does Akiem Hicks have the title of best NFL player having ever done Pro Bowl? He's been a great defensive end since coming to the Bears and has been great again this season, even though Khalil Mack is getting the most attention. It would be good to take it to the Pro Bowl this season.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3-1, LW: 4)

The Steelers beat the Broncos by 527 yards at 308. Their chances of winning in overtime seemed pretty good, but the potential pass was intercepted by Broncos playmaker Shelby Harris, who was not even supposed to be in the lead. blanket. These are the losses you regret, especially when playoff seeds are distributed.

4. New England Patriots (8-3, LW: 5)

The Patriots picked up Rob Gronkowski and Sony Michel on Sunday. Rex Burkhead has been activated off RI Monday. The Patriots do not have the same hype as many other teams, but they have a score of 8-3, which allows them to win the division and recover health attack. The Steelers' defeat at Denver could also help them in seeding playoffs.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-2, LW: 3)

It's hard to rely on a player coming back from injury and being his former player, especially for someone who has not even practiced this season. But security Eric Berry is a special player. He is supposed to train this week and probably come back in December. It's possible that he's just not the same player, at least for the rest of the season. But where is it? That changes things for Kansas City.

2. Los Angeles Rams (10-1, LW: 2)

Did you know that the Rams could have won the division in November if the Panthers defeated the Seahawks on Sunday? It will happen soon, of course, but it helps to show how much the Rams have been dominant.

1. Saints of New Orleans (10-1, LW: 1)

It seems possible that a 14-2 team gets the second seed in the NFC. It's not even out of the question for the 15-1 Rams to get the second seed. There is no bigger race in the last five weeks than Rams vs. Saints for top team rankings and home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

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The Seahawks are in form for the playoffs

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