Seattle Seahawks on the Playoff Bubble, WR Tyler Lockett Breaks Finger

Posted on: December 17, 2022, 01:48h. 

Last updated on: December 18, 2022, 10:42h.

Pauly McGuire Read More

Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

The Seattle Seahawks are fighting for the last NFC Wild Card spot. But they lost one of their top offensive weapons when wide receiver Tyler Lockett suffered a finger injury in a 21-13 loss against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football.

The 49ers clinched the NFC West division title with a 10-4 record. The Seahawks are in second place in the NFC West, but slipped to 7-7, and they’re on the verge of missing the playoffs. They’re in the middle of their worst stretch of the season after losing four out of their last five games.

The Seahawks jumped out to 6-3 start as one of the surprise teams in the NFC. Prognosticators expected the Seahawks would be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season after they traded starting quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. However, the Seahawks thrived after head coach Pete Carroll promoted backup quarterback Geno Smith as the starting quarterback.

Meanwhile, Wilson battled multiple injuries and a concussion during a disappointing first season with the Broncos. The Broncos were a Super Bowl contender in the preseason, but went 3-10 this season as one of the biggest busts of the year.

Seahawks in a Bubble Fight

The Seahawks are on the postseason bubble, along with the Detroit Lions (6-7). The Lions are on an upswing, but only have a 25% chance to secure an NFC Wild Card spot, according to projections by FiveThirtyEight.

The Seahawks have a 34% chance to qualify for the playoffs with three games remaining. They have a tough game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16 on Christmas Eve. If they can defeat the Chiefs, their postseason odds will take a huge jump with a 70% chance to secure a Wild Card berth. If they lose, the Seahawks’ chances slip to 27%.

The Seahawks host the New York Jets in Week 17 on New Year’s Day. They close out the season against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18.

In an unusual situation, all four NFC East teams currently occupy playoff spots. The Philadelphia Eagles (12-1) have the inside track for the #1 seed. But the other three have a Wild Card spot, including the Dallas Cowboys (10-3) with the #5 seed, the Washington Commanders (7-5-1) as the #6 seed, and the New York Giants (7-5-1) as the #7 seed.

The Seahawks need those NFC East teams to cannibalize each other so they can sneak into the playoffs. The Commanders have a 68% chance at a Wild Card, and the Giants have a 39% chance to make the playoffs. However, both teams square off in Week 15, and the winner will drastically increase their playoff chances. A win for the Giants puts them at 90%, while the Commanders jump to 93%.

The Seahawks are +10000 odds to win Super Bowl LVII, according to DraftKings.

Lockett Wants to Return ASAP

Lockett suffered a finger injury during a freak play late in the game against the 49ers. He fractured the metacarpal bone that’s connected to his index finger. Lockett will undergo surgery, but he could miss the remainder of the season with only three games left of the slate.

“Very optimistic review this morning from the docs that he’s got a chance to get back quickly,” said head coach Pete Carroll. “We’ve had good success with this surgeon in the past and he’s been really an expert.”

With the Seahawks on the postseason bubble, Lockett does not want to miss any time.

In 14 games this season, Lockett caught 78 passes for 964 yards and eight touchdowns. He was two touchdowns short of tying his career-high of ten touchdowns, which occurred in 2018 and 2020.

In 125 career games with the Seahawks, Lockett caught 527 passes for 7,031 yards, and 53 touchdowns. He averaged 13.3 yards per catch during his eight-season career with the Seahawks.

You don’t replace him,” added Carroll. “He’s such an extraordinary player that we’re not going to ask guys to do the same thing and hope they do it just like Tyler does.”

DK Metcalf is technically the WR #1 on the Seahawks’ depth chart, ahead of Lockett as the WR #2. However, Lockett posted better stats than Metcalf this season with more receiving yards and touchdowns.

With Lockett out, Marquise Goodwin will move into the WR #2 role.

“Marquise has played really well and helped us in a number of ways, and leaning on him is a good idea,” said Carroll. “Our tight ends are ready to help us at any time as well.”

Goodwin caught 27 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns this season.