A Grip on Sports: The regular season showed who the NFL’s two best teams are – and the NFC playoffs have reiterated the dominance of the Seahawks and Rams

A GRIP ON SPORTS • If you get a chance today, take a quick look at the NFL standings. Just for fun. Add up the wins for each division. Or losses, if you’re a half-empty type of person. The crudest form of analytics will tell you everything you might want to know about the Seahawks’ season.

•••••••

• The Rams’ season too. You know, the teams that meet Sunday in Seattle with the conference title in play. And the Super Bowl’s favorite role.

The NFC West’s four teams combined for 41 regular-season wins, 38 of them between Seattle (14), L.A. (12) and San Francisco (12). No other division had more than the 37 of the NFC North. The AFC’s best was a tossup between the East and South, both of which had 36 wins among their four teams.

If iron truly sharpens iron – not sure because I’ve never tried to use iron in my life, let alone sharpen it – the gantlet that was the NFC West this season is what gave the Rams and Hawks their playoff edge.

The difference between is negligible. You will see graphics ad nauseum this week on their two meetings, how the Rams scored 58 points in the games, the Seahawks 57. Or how L.A. had 830 yards and Seattle 829.

Or maybe the highlighted number will be 34-0, the record NFL teams had all time when putting up at least 550 yards of total offense and being plus-3 in the turnover margin. Until Seattle’s 38-37 comeback win in week 16, the reason this Sunday’s contest is in Lumen Field.

Whatever number is highlighted, the edge will be thin. Except turnovers. In the two meetings, Seattle had seven turnovers, six of them San Darnold interceptions. The Rams? One. And the teams split the games? Wow.

In the keep-it-simple category, of Seattle just takes care of the ball, it will win. Handily. If not? Kiss another Super Bowl appearance goodbye.

• I attended a get-together last night at a South Hill watering hole. A bunch of old guys gathered, as they do each year, to reminisce about another old guy near the anniversary of his death. Everyone gathered around a long table (or two) in the Park Inn had some connection to former Gonzaga basketball coach and athletic director Dan Fitzgerald. Former players. Former co-workers. Former journalists. Former high school coaches. All friends.

Stories were shared, of course. Everyone who ever ran into Fitz in any capacity has at least a half-dozen to draw from.

Memorable comments were shared too. Everyone who ever heard Fitz talk – and that might be just about everyone in the Spokane basketball community of a certain age – had at least two dozen of those in their pocket.

It was a short night for me, though. Not because I didn’t want to stay and enjoy the conversation and camaraderie. But because it was basketball practice night. Heading out to teach the game the best I could always seems a good way to honor Fitz’s memory. Maybe the best way. After all, there wasn’t a person at the table last night, including myself, who didn’t learn much of what they know about basketball from him.

Passing it along seems a better memorial than a statue in front of a building. Or a street name. It’s a toast to his memory that will survive the years.

•••

WSU: Around the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Jon Wilner has his weekly Big 12 men’s rankings in the Mercury News. … Two things happened at Pauley Pavilion last night. One unexpected. One predictable. The UCLA men upset No. 5 Purdue 69-67. And Mick Cronin complained about something once the game ended. … Oregon played Michigan State close for a while. But lost at home. … Colorado has not fared well this season when a game comes down to a decision by the officiating crew. The Buffs lost last night at home to No. 19 Kansas. … Utah State lost a second consecutive game, letting a home game against UNLV slip away last night. … Utah losing to Kansas State was not as unexpected. … USC may have a new face in the lineup against Northwestern. … Arizona has Cincinnati next and that may include a reunion with a former player. … San Diego State will not have a key player against Grand Canyon in Phoenix. … Colorado State needed a win and got it against Air Force. … Boise State made its last trip to Laramie and defeated Wyoming. … The Oregon women are slumping with Minnesota up next. … Arizona has lost three consecutive games after falling against Kansas last night.

• In football news, the final Associated Press poll was released. Indiana No. 1? Is that a typo? No. And that’s fun. … The Hoosiers have made life tougher for every Big Ten school, including Washington. … The Huskies have some holes to fill on defense. … Oregon moved up in the final poll. … Utah’s athletic director did something he probably should not have on X. … USC made some staff changes. … Will Arizona State be a top 25 team in 2026?

Gonzaga: One thing that came up last night at the Fitz get-together? How the Bulldogs played the other night against Seattle U. The lack of a go-to big man didn’t stop them. It just allowed us all to see a different type of team. Theo Lawson delves into that as he previews tonight’s 6 p.m. home game (KHQ) against Pepperdine. Whether Graham Ike will play is still undetermined. … Theo also has the key matchup. … Jim Meehan and Richard Fox’s latest episode of the Zags Basketball Insiders podcast covers the same ground. You can listen here if you want. … Allie Turner is one of the best 3-point shooters in the nation. The Zags’ sophomore guard takes a high volume of long-range shots and hits 46.6% of her attempts. That has helped the women lead Division I in the team category. Greg Lee has all the details and more in his weekly women’s basketball notebook. … Jeff Metcalfe has the West Coast rankings for the women in the Mercury News. Gonzaga, heading into Thursday’s game at No. 14 (in these rankings) Oregon State, is ranked 10th.

EWU: Yes, it is the middle of the basketball season. But it is also the middle of football’s portal recruiting season. Dan Thompson has an overview story on who the Eagles lost and what positions they are looking to fill in the next few weeks. … Elsewhere the Big Sky, next up for the Eagle men? Big Sky-leading Portland State comes to town. … Northern Colorado is struggling. … In football news, Idaho State enticed a former player back to Pocatello after a couple years away. … Montana has made a few portal pickups. … So has Montana State coming off its FCS title season.

Idaho: Peter Harriman takes a similar look at the Vandals’ portal losses and targets. … Sacramento State’s men visit Moscow on Thursday.

Preps: One constant for Gonzaga Prep in its boys’ State title seasons has been the Bullpups ability to make each game a slog. They did it again last night at Mt. Spokane, and the Wildcats, playing without two key starters, were unable to pull themselves out of the mud. Dave Nichols was there and has this story on Prep’s 39-27 win. And, no, there wasn’t a jump ball after each made basket. … Dave also has a roundup of other GSL action Tuesday night.

Seahawks: The Hawks needed a couple of key pieces midseason. If only to give them a boost down the stretch and in the postseason. John Schneider came up with a couple key ones. … The Rams are a challenge. At least Mike Macdonald thinks so. And he should know. … The NFL has a lot of issues. One is the officiating. Transparency is another. … Seattle sports are on a high, that is for sure. … Riq Woolen is playing so much better late in the season. … The Rams feel they are the better team. They have a chance to prove it. … Seattle has a good history in the NFC title game.

Mariners: Bryce Miller and the M’s agreed to a deal that avoids arbitration this season and has a club option for the next. … If I had more time today, I would have railed for a while on the weird dichotomy of the Hall of Fame voters. No steroid cheaters, I get that. But then to vote in Carlos Beltran, who was part of the worst cheating scandal of this century? The Astros’ sign-stealing fraud has once again gone unpunished. Might as well vote in everyone. … Felix Hernandez picked up a lot more votes in his second year on the ballot. … If there is a lockout in the near future, the blame might just lie with the L.A. Dodgers. The management. Maybe rightfully so.

•••       

• Beltran was really good. But even dropping the trash-can banging, I’m not sure he’s Hall of Fame worthy. Then again, it has become the Hall of the Really Good over the years. Not the Hall of the Great. Until later …