The Seattle Seahawks will need help from the Detroit Lions to make the playoffs, but head coach Pete Carroll knows what to expect from Dan Campbell’s team.
The Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks are both in the hunt for the final Wild Card spot in the NFC heading into Week 18, which no one would have predicted heading into the season. The Lions were coming off a 3-13-1 season, and many expected the Seahawks to be one of the worst teams in the league.
Pete Carroll has done one of his best coaching jobs this year. However, there were some seemingly winnable games the Seahawks lost. Which would make beating the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, and/or needing the Lions to help them by beating the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night, a moot point .
If the Seahawks and Lions both finish 9-8, Seattle has the head-to-head tiebraker based on their win in Week 4.
The Lions will know if they have a chance to make the playoffs by kickoff Sunday night. If the Seahawks win, they are only going to play spoiler for the Packers by beating them. Not surprisingly, Dan Campbell and company is treating it like a playoff game regardless.
Pete Carroll knows exactly what to expect from the Detroit Lions
With Rams-Seahawks and Lions-Packers not scheduled at the same time Sunday, the conspiracy theories have been out there regarding the league wanting Aaron Rodgers in the playoffs. Of course we know different because we know how Campbell is wired. But “they” say the Lions may lack motivation on Sunday night if they can’t make the playoffs with a win.
Carroll, via the Tacoma News Tribune, knows what to expect from the Lions.
"But the last thing I would ever worry about is Coach Campbell’s team not getting ready to play, regardless of what’s at stake or what’s going on. He’s going to get them fired up and jacked. That’s all he’s ever done. And that will be a great match, too.”"
So if the Seahawks take care of their own business on Sunday afternoon, which is first and foremost of course, Carroll is confident the Lions will come to play Sunday night and give the Packers all they can handle. As he should be.