Seattle Seahawks Take Playoff-Picture Gut Punch in Overtime Loss vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Don’t let the records fool you. Nothing was going to come easy for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Lumen Field against a Las Vegas Raiders team that marched into opposing territory while fringing on No. 1 pick territory.
And for 60 minutes plus overtime, the Seahawks (6-5) found this out in heartbreaking fashion, as the Raiders (4-7) pulled out a thrilling 40-34 overtime win over Seattle.
Despite the Raiders’ disappointing record coming in, they possessed the talent capable of pulling out a road win in Seattle and creating a competitive environment. Things turned into a playoff-like atmosphere quickly and stayed that way the whole game, as the Seahawks had a chance to show they were a legitimate threat in the NFC.
But instead, the loss dropped Seattle out of the current playoff picture and into second place in the division.
Throughout the punch-for-punch battle, the Seahawks found their source of fight through the passing game but failed to get the ground game going when they needed it most. For an aspect of the offense that needs to find success if the Seahawks want to get to the postseason, it wasn’t a promising sign that the Raiders – who are allowing 122.9 rushing yards per game – heavily held Seattle in check with 65 rushing yards despite allowing two scores on the ground.
It only took Raiders running back Josh Jacobs a single play to top Seattle’s rushing total by a full 21 yards on his game-winning 86-yard touchdown. The play also highlighted the weakness of the Seahawks’ rushing defense, which has now allowed back-to-back 100-yard rushers.
Use this to look no further to see which team appeared playoff-ready headed into Sunday, even though Las Vegas is still far from postseason contention.
When looking at their upcoming schedule, the Seahawks took a major blow to their postseason chances in a game that they had to have in order to provide themselves with a cushion. Before a three-game stretch against the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and New York Jets – all who have at least seven wins – the Seahawks have back-to-back games against the stumbling Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers, matchups that no longer look like easy wins for Seattle.
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The Seahawks now find themselves somewhat in do-or-die mode just a few weeks after they were riding high on a four-game winning streak.
But as the cliche goes, NFL stands for Not For Long. The Seahawks will hope this saying works in reverse for them as they look to quickly turn things around in Week 13 against the Rams (3-8) at SoFi Stadium.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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