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Seahawks embrace upcoming gauntlet

Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll have work cut out. (Associated Press)
Gregg Bell Tacoma News Tribune
Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll have work cut out. (Associated Press)

RENTON, Wash. –

The same parity-driven league that gave the Seahawks their hellacious 2014 schedule befitting Super Bowl champions is now giving them the only postseason chance they have left.

Seattle (6-4) has already lost more games than it did all last season while winning it all (was that really only nine months ago?) The Seahawks are three games behind the Arizona Cardinals (9-1) in the NFC West with six weeks remaining in the regular season.

The way the NFL scheduled Seattle’s final six games is suddenly a blessing. It will either propel the Seahawks into the playoffs or plummet them out of the race depending on whether they improve.

Two of those remaining games are against the soaring Cardinals, the first one Sunday at 1:05 p.m. in Seattle.

Seattle also plays division-rival San Francisco (6-4) twice and is at Philadelphia (7-3) in December. The final regular-season game is Dec. 28 against St. Louis.

That’s five games inside the NFC West for the Seahawks.

“You like to finish in the division. I think the league set it up that way,” cornerback Richard Sherman said. “We have a chance to still impact the division with some great teams coming up.”

Really great. The combined record of the Seahawks’ remaining foes: 41-19. The only opponent with a losing record is the Rams (4-6) – and they beat Seattle last month in St. Louis.

The combined records of Arizona’s remaining opponents is 27-23. San Francisco’s, Dallas’ and Green Bay’s are 30-30. The 49ers, Cowboys and Packers are directly in front of the Seahawks in the NFC playoff race, with Green Bay and Dallas currently holding the two wild-card spots.

So, no, it’s not the most optimal road for Seattle to get back to the postseason to defend its Super Bowl title. But coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks are looking at this the only productive way they can: They are embracing it as a huge opportunity to leapfrog the playoff race.

“I’m really excited about the way this thing sets up. I think most of the people should be, with all of the drama still out there about the division,” Carroll said.

On Tuesday, Carroll and the Seahawks made a couple of moves to improve their chances.

They brought back Lemuel Jeanpierre, who backed up injured center Max Unger the last three years, from a September injury settlement and they signed 304-pound defensive lineman Travian Robertson off the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad to hopefully help fill the huge void left by injured nose tackle Brandon Mebane.