Prefered playoff opponents

[MontanaHawk05]

There's really not a team in the league that scares me right now. Detroit's defense is interesting, but we just handled, and I mean handled, a similarly ranked DVOA defense with aplomb.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Whoever the consensus best team is that is who I want.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

In my perfect playoff world last year i wanted to face SF in the NFCCG. This year I want to host GB or Dallas as the hype for both those teams would be insane. So my hope to have the most fun playoff experience will be rooting for GB to get the #2. Then Det to beat Dallas.

We would face Det in the divisional round and GB would face Az/NFC south winner.

If scenarios play out as expected, I'd love to see us play the winner of the AZ/NFC South game. At home, steamrolling either a severely weakened and over-expended Cardinals team we just demolished, or taking out a serious overachiever in the winner of the NFC South. Hopefully, a tuneup game.

Then we can have an epic NFC Championship matchup with one of the other best teams in the NFC. The ratings for that game would be huge.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

If they beat the Rams, they pretty much get the red carpet rolled out to get right back to the NFCCG *unless* Dallas gets upset at home, which is a fair possibility since they'd get the loser of GB/DET.

However, assuming that higher seeds win, Seattle would get BYE ----> winner of CAR/ATL vs. ARZ. I don't particularly like the idea of playing CAR or ARZ again this year (especially ARZ, since it is hard to beat the same team three times in one year), but that should be a fairly comfortable win leading to a matchup against whoever survives DAL/GB/DET.

If the road to the Super Bowl ends up being something like BYE ---> ATL at home ------> DAL at home, they should make it back there this year unless they get SSS'd and have another bad day against Dallas or something.

 

[Mike 4G]

I don't like us playing Det. They are very dirty on D. Last thing I want to see is Russ getting stomped after a sack.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

I don't particularly like the idea of playing CAR or ARZ again this year (especially ARZ, since it is hard to beat the same team three times in one year), but that should be a fairly comfortable win leading to a matchup against whoever survives DAL/GB/DET.

Tell that to the 2004 Rams team. I want Arizona again in the playoffs. With a (fairly likely in my estimation) loss against the 49ers next week, they'll be backing into the playoffs with zero momentum. If they pull off a win against a very, very bad NFC South winner, they'll be prime for another slaughter.

 

[hawkfan68]

I am thoroughly convinced that only one team can beat the Seahawks.....that team is the Seahawks. If they continue to play as they have the past 5 weeks, it doesn't matter who they play in the playoffs. None of the other NFC teams are scary.

 

[kearly]

Dallas concerns me, they are playing damn good football right now. Detroit also concerns me a little, because Seattle has not played Detroit since 2012 and they were a totally different team back then. In the playoffs the favored team (Seattle) would prefer a familiar opponent rather than an unknown.

Green Bay doesn't worry me at all. Arizona is an automatic win. Carolina in Seattle, I'll say that's essentially an automatic win.

I badly want to see Dallas end up the #3 seed, as it not only doubles the odds they'll be eliminated before facing Seattle, but would mean they wouldn't face a #1 seed Seattle until the NFCCG.

Best case scenario:

#1: Hawks
#2: Packers
#3: Cowboys
#4: Panthers
#5: Arizona
#6: Detroit

 

[Mick063]

Don't want any part of Dallas run game.

Their defense has fallen off a bit with perhaps a recent revival and Murray was known to fumble before he broke his hand. Still, I think they pose the biggest threat.

Dallas and Green Bay defense are a wash, but I like Seattle's chances against Rogers more than I do against the Dallas offensive line and Murray running combined with Romo to Bryant combination. They also have a veteran tight end that can find open space.

What is surprising to me is how much Russell has improved in the last four weeks. People cling to old images, thinking the world is static, and that the teams are the same as they were ten weeks ago. Packers are better now than when Seattle played them. Seahawks are better now than when they played Dallas. We won't know who is best until they all lace them up.

 

[pehawk]

Dallas concerns me, they are playing damn good football right now. Detroit also concerns me a little, because Seattle has not played Detroit since 2012 and they were a totally different team back then. In the playoffs the favored team (Seattle) would prefer a familiar opponent rather than an unknown.

Green Bay doesn't worry me at all. Arizona is an automatic win. Carolina in Seattle, I'll say that's essentially an automatic win.

I badly want to see Dallas end up the #3 seed, as it not only doubles the odds they'll be eliminated before facing Seattle, but would mean they wouldn't face a #1 seed Seattle until the NFCCG.

Best case scenario:

#1: Hawks
#2: Packers
#3: Cowboys
#4: Panthers
#5: Arizona
#6: Detroit

Dallas concerns me as well. If you can negate the Hawks passrush without using max protect, you got a shot. The Seahawks still force the QB and WR to earn it, but Dallas has the QB's and WR's to earn it.

Best case scenario is Detroit goes to Dallas. Detroit's DL entirely wipes out Dallas only real advantage. If you can take out the Cowboys huge advantage across the OL, its then up to their offense not to implode (they will) and puts a bad defense on front street.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

Best case scenario:

#1: Hawks
#2: Packers
#3: Cowboys
#4: Panthers
#5: Arizona
#6: Detroit

Yep, yep, yep. I'll take these seedings any day of the week. And for every reason you listed in your above (truncated) post.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Even though I think the Hawks beat anyone, road or home Dallas is the one team that comes closest to matching our physicality....especially in the run game. So they'd be last.

Who do I want to face? In order.

1. Winner of the South
2. Lions
3. Arizona
4. Packers
5. Cowboys

 

[Rat]

I live in Michigan, and most of the people I know here are Lions fans, so I'm pulling for that matchup at some point. I'd prefer the NFCCG, but would be happy if it happened in the divisional round as well.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

I have to be honest, Dallas looks good and has some strong pieces, particularly their OL. I still think they don't match up well enough with the Hawks in a rematch, though. Not to take anything away from them, though, because they do have a very good offense.

 

[exhilo]

"Iron sharpens iron." -LOB

Proverbs 27:17 is the original quote.

 

[seahawksTopGear]

Beating the Rams does NOT guarantee the 1st seed. We can still get the number 2 seed if both Dallas wins and GB and DET tie. (head to head against Dallas would count if neither GB or DET wins)

In that scenario we would get a bye, winner of GB and DET, and then play at Dallas if they take care of business. Yuck

In pretty much any other scenario where we win, Dallas gets the number 3 seed and things just line up for us. We will end up playing winner of Arizona and (Car or Atl)s and Dallas will have to plow though GB and DET in some order to get to us.

 

[original poster]

Whoever we get, you can bet they're a damn sight more concerned about us than we are of them.

 

[TwilightError]

I want Dallas and Green Bay. Detroit would be nice so Kam could blow up Golden Tate, but stopping both Cowboys and Packers would be like ruining the party for most football fans. I want to bathe in that Amazon of tears...

 

[chris98251]

I want the team that the Mediots are going to gush all over, that is a sure way to get us focused and the killer instinct going. We can beat any team if we have that going for us, it's when we think we have a win we get caught with our pants down, a team such as the Rams this coming week, nothing happens till after that game and I want it to be one that we come out of healthy and ready to be predators.

 

[hawknation2014]

Best case scenario:

#1: Hawks
#2: Packers
#3: Cowboys
#4: Panthers
#5: Arizona
#6: Detroit

Yep, yep, yep. I'll take these seedings any day of the week. And for every reason you listed in your above (truncated) post.

This is probably the best case scenario, unless Detroit beats Dallas. Then we would have to face Detroit in the divisional round. IMO, Cowboys, Lions, and Packers are the three biggest threats in that order.

I think I would prefer to see Detroit secure the No. 2 seed; that way it guarantees we won't have to face them until the NFC Championship Game in Seattle. We completely dominated Green Bay in the opener, so I would feel more confident facing them than Detroit in the divisional round, in the event that they upset Dallas. Also, Green Bay is a better matchup for our offense.

Another reason we want Detroit as the No. 2 seed is because it's more likely Dallas loses at Detroit than at Green Bay; Detroit's defense has a better chance to shut down the Cowboys' running game and attack Romo in the pocket. I could see Dallas steamrolling Green Bay's defense.

My best case scenario:
#1: Seahawks
#2: Lions
#3: Cowboys
#4: Panthers
#5: Cardinals
#6: Packers

Lions beat Packers this week.
Cowboys beat Packers in Wild Card.
Lions beat Cowboys in Divisional Round.
Seahawks beat Panthers or Cardinals in Divisional Round.
Seahawks beat Lions in NFC Championship Game.

The good news is, unless both Arizona and Seattle lose this week, Dallas is guaranteed to finish as the 3rd seed.