Don't get me wrong—I'd rather see the St. Louis Rams in position to inexplicably host a playoff game. But with both teams at 7-9 and the Seahawks markedly worse in the regular season I'm at least allowed to be cynical, now, about the NFC West's position in the NFL playoff bracket. Namely: The Seattle Seahawks are going to have a lot of trouble beating the New Orleans Saints, the 11-5 holders of the top Wild Card spot.
↵Beating the Green Bay Packers, the newly crowned second Wild Card team, wouldn't be such a wild leap of imagination to make. But the Saints managed the sixth best point-differential in the NFL, even in their ostensible post-Super Bowl lull. Drew Brees threw for 4300 yards and 30 touchdowns for the third year in a row; he's still at the head of one of the best offenses in football. Sam Bradford and the Rams couldn't take advantage of the Seahawks' porous defense, but the Saints were put on this earth to do it.
↵Past that the Seahawks would meet the Atlanta Falcons, who have made themselves into one of the best teams in football and also feature an outstanding, fully developed quarterback. It's a tough path for any team, and now—well, now it's easier to admit that.