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Seattle Seahawks

NFL announces game times for Seahawks-Rams, Lions-Packers

Quinton Jefferson #77 of the Seattle Seahawks sacks Mike White #5 of the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field on Jan. 1, 2023, in Seattle, Washington. (Tribune News Service)
By Bob Condotta Seattle Times

The Seattle Seahawks will have to beat the Rams on Sunday – and then sit and wait to see if they have made the playoffs.

The NFL made its game times for the final week of the season official Monday and set the kickoff for Seattle’s game against the Los Angeles Rams against Lumen Field at 1:25 p.m.

The NFL set the time for Green Bay’s home game against Detroit for 5:20 p.m. PT.

Seattle must beat the Rams and then needs Detroit to beat or tie the Packers to have a chance at the playoffs.

Seahawks fans might have hoped that the two games would be played at the same time so as not to possibly impact the motivation for the Lions. If Seattle beats the Rams, Detroit is eliminated from the playoffs and only Green Bay would play that game having the postseason on the line.

Seattle, Green Bay and Detroit are all 8-8. But the Green Bay-Detroit game means there cannot be a three-way tie at 9-8. If both games ended tied, meaning all three finished the regular season 8-8-1, Seattle would win that tiebreaker since it beat Detroit who would have the tiebreaker over Green Bay with a 1-0-1 record.

Seattle holds a tiebreaker on Detroit due to a win over the Lions in October. Green Bay holds a tiebreaker on Seattle at 9-8 due to what would be a better conference record – in that scenario the Packers would be 7-5 in NFC games and Seattle 6-6.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll indicated during his radio show Monday morning on Seattle Sports 710 that he wasn’t worried about the start times of either game.

“We are just going to go play the game,” Carroll said. “This last week (the win over the Jets Sunday) was our first playoff game and this next week is our next playoff game and away we go and hopefully we can keep marching and be prepared for the opportunity.”

Detroit coach Dan Campbell insisted during a news conference Monday that the Lions will take the same approach to the game regardless of the stakes.

“Yeah, I mean I can’t worry about that,” Campbell said. “We can’t worry about it. For us, it’s got to be a win, win either way. Either we’re playing to get in or we’re playing to be spoiler and that’s it. So, either way we win.”