Thanks to Titans, Seahawks can clinch playoff spot with win over Chiefs Sunday night
Thanks to the Titans, the Seahawks are back on the brink of advancing to the playoffs.
Tennessee beat Washington Saturday 25-16. That means the Redskins, contenders with Seattle for a wild-card berth in the NFC, are now 7-8 with one game remaining in the regular season. Washington cannot get to nine wins.
The Seahawks (8-6) can, Sunday night against Kansas City. So a victory over the Chiefs (11-3) at CenturyLink Field would send Seattle to the postseason for the sixth time in Russell Wilson’s seven seasons as Seahawks quarterback.
“This is a great opportunity for us Sunday night, the 12s coming out and all of that. It’s a great way to celebrate the holidays,” coach Pete Carroll said.
“It’s a really important ballgame, as everybody knows. And we want to play really good on Sunday night.”
The Seahawks could clinch the fifth of six playoffs seeds in the NFC Sunday if Minnesota (7-6-1) loses at Detroit (5-9), Philadelphia (7-7) loses at home to Houston (10-4) also in the afternoon and then Seattle wins Sunday night.
Of course, that won’t be easy.
The Chiefs have the likely NFL most valuable player in quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He’s thrown for over 4,500 yards with 45 touchdowns through 14 games. He’s trying to join Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in league history to throw 50 touchdown passes in a season.
That’s why Kansas City and offensive mastermind coach Andy Reid lead the NFL in scoring and offense.
“This is a terrific championship opportunity for us,” Carroll said. “It’s a fantastic team, the kind of teams that you’ve got to beat if you get a chance to get into the playoffs. If you can’t matchup with these guys, what can you expect down the road?
“We’re going for it and that’s the only way we know how to do that. We don’t ever take a step off that.”
Thing is, the Seahawks are at far less than full strength to face Kansas City’s firepower.
Three of their four starters in the secondary have been dealing with injuries all week, since Seattle’s 26-23 loss in overtime at San Francisco last weekend. Free safety Tedric Thompson is out with swelling in his chest. Strong safety Bradley McDougald is trying to play less than two days after re-joining the team following a week away in California getting regenokine treatment for tendinitis in his knee. That’s a blood-spinning, platelet-rich injection into the injured area to accelerate healing.
Cornerback Shaquill Griffin is questionable after missing practice Wednesday with a hip injury. But he returned to practice by week’s end, and coach Pete Carroll said Griffin will play against the Chiefs.
K.J. Wright had that two weeks ago for his surgically repaired knee that’s kept him out 11 times in 14 games. He’s going to play at outside linebacker Sunday next to All-Pro Bobby Wagner.
Wright said Friday he’s not sure about McDougald, officially questionable to play, starting less than two days after returning from regenokine treatment.
“He can, but I don’t think it will happen this game,” Wright said. “It’s not smart. Just get it all the way good. Take your time, and then come back. But it is possible.”
The right side of Seattle’s starting offensive line is questionable to play Sunday. Guard D.J. Fluker hasn’t played in two weeks because of a strained hamstring, and Carroll said he will be a game-time decision. Tackle Germain Ifedi will be in the same situation. He “tweaked” his groin, to use Carroll’s word, in practice Thursday.
Elijah Nkansah could play at tackle if Ifedi can’t. The Seahawks signed him from the practice squad on Saturday. They waived wide receiver Malik Turner to make room on the 53-man active roster for Nkansah.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Nkansah was the University of Toledo’s starting left tackle all last season.
Defensive tackle Jarran Reed is also officially questionable with a groin injury, but Carroll said there’s no way Seattle’s second-leading sack man won’t play against Mahomes and the Chiefs.
