This is the recipe for the Seattle Seahawks to make the playoffs

There’s a good chance the Seattle Seahawks will accomplish just about anything in Week 15.

They are the most likely of the four NFC West teams to win the division. Sole ownership of first place is strengthened after a win over the Cardinals, and their chances of making the playoffs have increased between 65 and 75%, depending on the outlet.

That’s a lot of green: The Seahawks’ uniforms are Action Green vs. Packers

But this divide is far from resolved. Don’t forget that Seattle has a tiebreaker over the Cardinals or that the 49ers are struggling; Things are still too close for comfort.

So how does Seattle manage to secure its ticket to the postseason? Here’s how.

The Seattle Seahawks playoff recipe

1. Don’t take your foot off the gas when defending.

The Seahawks are coming off their best rushing performance of the season (176 yards against the Cardinals) and the offensive line’s best play to date (no sacks, five pressures allowed), but the offense is still too volatile to rely on to carry this group into the playoffs.

Seattle is ahead in the NFC West primarily due to improvements on defense. Good playoff teams have an identity. They also tend to excel at something despite having weaknesses elsewhere. Seattle’s defense is a big part of its identity right now, and it will have to be that way The Move key forward. Think of it as the broth of the playoff recipe soup here.

How big is the improvement? Seattle went from allowing 148.3 rushing yards per game in the first eight weeks to just 91.6 yards in the last five weeks, and that includes three games against top-five rushing teams and four games against divisional opponents. They were also among the most dangerous defenders in football. No opponent has scored more than 20 points against defenses in the last five weeks, with the only two 20-plus point games involving a special teams return touchdown (New York Jets) and a pick-six by quarterback Geno Smith (Los Angeles Rams). This puts the Seahawks firmly in the top 10 defense rating.

Seattle’s offense faces the No. 6 scoring defense — compiled by Brian Flores — at the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 22 and the No. 10 scoring defense just four days later in Chicago. I know the Bears defense allowed just under 40 points to the 49ers, but Chicago also limited the Lions, Packers and Commanders to 23 or fewer. So Seattle’s offense will rely on the defense to continue to keep games manageable because scoring goals won’t be easy over the last four weeks.

2. Win, but most importantly at least one of your next two.

“The secret to making the playoffs is winning games? Great logic, Stacy!”

Ok, I understand you. But these next two are especially important considering the schedule the rest of the division faces in a tight NFC West race.

• The Cardinals’ next four games:

Patriots (3-10, .231)
Panthers (3-10, .231)
Rams (7-6, .538)
49ers (6-7, .462)

Average strength of schedule: .365

• The Rams’ next four games:

49ers (6-7, .462)
Jets (3-10, .231)
Cardinals (6-7, .462)
Seahawks (8-5, .615)

Average strength of schedule: .442

• The 49ers’ next four games:

Rams (7-6, .538)
Dolphins (6-7, .462)
Lions (12-1, .923)
Cardinals (6-7, .462)

Average strength of schedule: .596

• Seahawks next four games:

Packers (9-4, .692)
Vikings (11-2, .846)
Bears (4-9, .308)
Rams (7-6, .538)

Average strength of schedule: .596

Lesson learned: Seattle has the toughest schedule over the next two weeks and there’s a real chance for the Cardinals and Rams to shake things up before the final two games. The best strategy? Win at least one of the next two games to increase the chances of retaining your No. 1 spot and taking part in an easier contest against the Bears in Week 17. Plus, winning a game against the Vikings or Packers is a clear win for a Seahawks team that currently has just one win over a .500 club And would probably be a preview of the wildcard round.

The two toughest remaining dates belong to the first place team (Seattle) and the last place team (San Francisco). Meanwhile, the Rams are just one game back and only have one more game left against a .500-plus team – and it’s their finale against the Seahawks, which could very well be for the NFC West title. The Arizona Cardinals appear to be out of contention thanks to a season win by the Seahawks, but they also have back-to-back games against the two worst teams in football. If Seattle lost both of its next two games, the Cardinals could win their next two and be right back in the game (though Seattle would at least come out on top thanks to a tiebreaker before Week 17).

3. Get help from the 49ers.

Congratulations, you’re a 49ers fan! They don’t want the 49ers to somehow play their way back into this – although that’s unlikely since the playoff odds are around 9%. But they can help Seattle on Thursday night with a win over the Rams, the team closest to Seattle in the standings. They want to push LA back as much as possible before the Week 18 finale.

Thanks to the home advantage, San Francisco is the favorite with 2.5 points. Both teams emerge victorious: the Rams with a surprise shootout over the Bills and the 49ers with a commanding victory over the Bears.

More coverage of the Seattle Seahawks

• Seahawks breakdown: An assessment of the highly competitive NFC West race
• Bump: Why the Seahawks’ deep passing game could open up
• Unexpected impact: Four Seahawks key to climbing back to top of NFC West
• Coach Macdonald: The players “did everything we asked of them”
• The changes that ultimately made the Seattle Seahawks’ running game possible

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