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Seahawks earn NFC's final playoff spot thanks to Packers' loss

Published: Jan 08, 2023 at 11:22 PM
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Grant Gordon

Digital Content Editor

A sleepless night in Seattle is ending with a celebration.

The Seattle Seahawks have clinched the NFC's final playoff spot thanks to their Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Rams, along with the Green Bay Packers' 20-16 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday night.

The seventh-seeded Seahawks (9-8) will play the second-seeded San Francisco 49ers (13-4) on Super Wild Card Weekend.

Following a 19-16 overtime win against the Rams during the late window, the Seahawks had to wait and watch the Lions-Packers contest to find out their playoff fate: A Lions win or tie would earn Seattle the final spot, while a Green Bay win would send the Packers through.

Fortune smiled on the Seahawks, who are back in the postseason dance after a one-season hiatus, having rebounded from a last-place NFC West showing in 2021 to take second in the division.

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Seattle's playoff berth marks the first for the club without Russell Wilson on the roster since Matt Hasselbeck quarterbacked the 2010 squad to the playoffs in Pete Carroll's first year at the helm. Wilson's departure via trade this past offseason had most predicting it would be a rebuilding year for Seattle, but Carroll and veteran Geno Smith have guided this squad back to the postseason.

Having soared to a 6-3 start, the Seahawks found the stretch run to be a rough go, but they were able to collect wins over the Jets and Rams to stay in the hunt. Now they'll have to pen some thank-you cards for the Lions, before heading West to face the Niners on Saturday.

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