Through four games, the Seahawks are currently not sitting at 3-1 and in first place in the NFC West. After the Giants come to Seattle, Mike Macdonald and Geno Smith will face a brutal gauntlet that features the 49ers twice and the Bills in a five-game stretch, with the Falcons and Rams completing that 5 game turn. If Seattle can go 3-2 during that stretch (or better), then the playoffs will feel pretty close to a lock.
At the first quarter turn of the season, here's how I project the NFL playoffs will turn out come January.
NFL playoff predictions head of Week 5: Will the Seahawks make it?
AFC Playoff Projections
1: Kansas City Chiefs 13-4
2: Houston Texans 12-5
3: Buffalo Bills 12-5
4: Baltimore Ravens: 11-6
5: Pittsburgh Steelers: 11-6
6: Los Angeles Chargers: 10-7
7: New York Jets 10-7
NFC Playoff Projections
1: Minnesota Vikings 13-4
2: San Francisco 49ers 12-5
3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11-6
4: Washington Commanders 10-7
5: Detroit Lions 11-6
6: Seattle Seahawks 11-6
7: Green Bay Packers 10-7
While the Seattle Seahawks currently lead the 49ers in the NFC West race, I do believe that San Francisco will eventually come out on top in a close race that goes down the finish line. Losing out on the NFC West sucks, but the Seahawks will take the consolation of getting into the dance, where I project them to go into Tampa Bay and upset the Buccaneers to earn a date with the top-seeded Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Divisional Round.
Divisional Round
AFC:
Baltimore over Kansas City
Buffalo over Houston
NFC:
Minnesota over Seattle
Detroit over San Francisco
The Cinderella run by Mike Macdonald’s crew strikes midnight in Minnesota, as the Vikings are able to end an incredible first season of this new era in Seattle.
Conference Championships
AFC:
Buffalo over Baltimore
NFC:
Detroit over Minnesota
Super Bowl LIX:
Buffalo over Detroit
