Well, here we go.  Seahawks beat the Cardinals, and Panthers beat the Falcons, and the Seahawks are in the playoffs as a 6-seed.  It’s the only way.  Well, it’s the only way I’m going to talk about today, because I don’t give a fuck about ties.

There are actually three games that directly matter as to whether the Seahawks get into the post-season or not.  The third being the Saints and Bucs.  Fortunately, all three of these games start at 1:25pm Pacific Time.  I guess the only way it would be better is if the Panthers/Falcons game was in the early slot, because then there wouldn’t be the chance for Carolina to rest their stars in the 4th quarter, should the Saints rack up a huge lead over Tampa.  That’s probably my #1 biggest fear heading into Sunday.

My #2 biggest fear?  The Seahawks actually finding a way to lose to the Cards.  Wouldn’t that just be so perfectly Seattle?  Have everything else go our way, but in the end we shit our OWN bed?

For the record, I don’t think that’ll happen, but you never know with these teams.  To be perfectly honest, I almost NEVER think the Cardinals will beat the Seahawks; and then there I am, sitting there watching the game, quietly mystified that the Seahawks are trailing as we head into the 4th quarter, until before I know it the upset has taken hold and I stomp around like a giant baby for the rest of the night.

I’ll say this:  no Carson Palmer really helps.  He’s not good as it is, but he has a knack for finding a way to beat the Seahawks more than I like.  A lot has been made about how the Cards have come into Seattle and made us their bitch pretty regularly since 2012, but I don’t remember that ever happening when Palmer was out with injury.  Because it’s never happened.  The last time a non-Palmer quarterback for the Cardinals beat the Seahawks on ANY field was in Week 1 in 2012, in Russell Wilson’s very first game.  So, you know, that’s cool.

I’ll also say that I don’t fear their defense NEARLY as much without Calais Campbell locking down the middle.  That didn’t stop the Cards from sacking Russell Wilson 5 times earlier this year (though, that was the game Duane Brown injured his ankle, so I’m sure that played a large part in it).

The problem, as I see it, is that they won’t NEED Calais Campbell to shut down this Seahawks offense.  We’ve never been able to run the ball this year, but the last two weeks, we haven’t been able to throw it either.  We’ve done nothing well on offense.  You could say the Rams smashed us because they’re just better in all three phases of the game; but how does that explain how badly we struggled against the Cowboys last week?  They couldn’t stop a … thing that never moves anyway!!!

With a healthy linebacking corps, it’s hard to see the Cards running the ball very well.  All they really have to do is come in here with a conservative game plan, protect the football, and the game should keep itself close.  Make a few big conversions here and there, and it’s a recipe for another Seahawks disaster.

The wild card in this whole thing is Bruce Arians.  First, WILL he be willing to come in here with a conservative game plan?  Or, will he want to gunsling it all around the field like he always does, regardless of how inept his quarterback is?  And, second, is this actually going to be his last game in Arizona (or his last game period)?  You’d think he’d want to go out on top, but he strikes me as the type of coach who’d want to go out on his own terms, meaning coaching the game the way he’s always coached it.  If that’s the case, I like the Seahawks’ chances a lot more.

The weather doesn’t look like it’ll be a factor, which oddly enough helps the Seahawks, since Russell Wilson seemingly always shits the bed in the driving rain.  So, this game is really ripe for the taking!

Regardless of what the other teams do, in a way it’d still be cool for the Seahawks to win this one.  That’ll be 6 straight seasons with at least 10 wins, which is pretty remarkable when you think about it.  It would be a bummer to get to 10 wins and NOT make the playoffs, when we’re looking at possibly two AFC wild card teams that will have 9 wins (or one that might have 8), but if that’s the case, then so be it.  Never should’ve lost to the fucking Redskins in the first fucking place.

It’s nice when I can end these on a positive note, but I gotta be me.  And I can’t help but see the worst in damn near every situation.  That fucking game would haunt me for a long time, if the Seahawks didn’t already have too many injuries to make a serious playoff run anyway.  Why am I rooting for us to make the playoffs again?