COLUMN: The perfect path to the Super Bowl for the Seahawks
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 months, 1 week AGO
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald stands on the field during an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Saturday Jan. 03, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
AP
One of the best time periods of the sports calendar is here – playoff football. As the college football playoff semifinals conclude, fans from across the country can remain comfortable on the couch as wild-card weekend kicks off for the NFL.
12 teams will battle it out on their respective ends of the bracket to earn a chance to play at least one more game. Most importantly, to inch closer to claiming football immortality by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Santa Clara, Calif., the host of Super Bowl 60.
As the top seed, the Seattle Seahawks will play the lowest remaining seed in the NFC after this weekend.
Who should they root for?
No matter what team it is, their odds are promising since they will host every game in the playoffs up to the conference championship. If all of the higher seeds win this weekend, it will be the Carolina Panthers (8-9). Their record says enough.
While I’ve enjoyed the Panthers’ rise this season and Bryce Young finally turning it around, teams like this are not equipped to make a deep run. A young quarterback, young players and an overall lack of experience in the postseason will likely hold them back this year.
Could the Los Angeles Rams (12-5) find themselves back in Seattle for another prime-time matchup?
Matthew Stafford is playing at an MVP level this season. The Rams as a whole have been one of the most elite in the entire NFL. However, Seattle had their number last time these two met. They had to do it in overtime, but Sam Darnold and the fellas found a way to win. Of all the potential divisional matchups, the Rams arguably pose the biggest threat.
If the lower-seeded San Francisco 49ers or Green Bay Packers get to the divisional round, that means the Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) or the Chicago Bears (11-6) were eliminated. The Seahawks just beat the Niners on the road; if they meet again at home, the result will be the same.
The Packers have been in shambles since Micah Parsons went down with a season-ending injury. With the Seahawks being regarded as one of the most well-rounded teams in the NFL right now by mainstream pundits, this team could dismantle the Packers with ease.
Whichever team they meet in the NFC Championship, that will likely be the hardest challenge they face all season. In moments like these, a player with the most pressure to perform is Darnold. As we have hit the final stretch of the football season, chatter has picked up about whether he can lead a team on a playoff run, or will he just fall apart as he did in Minnesota last year?
Even after leading this team to a comeback win over the Rams the other week, managing the game against the Niners and winning seven straight to finish the season. Darnold has been sharp this season. When he had a bad game, he showed multiple times how he learned from those moments and made the right adjustments.
However, questioning around Darnold will persist as the playoffs unfold. The Seahawks just need to stay grounded in what they have been doing this year. They are not the top seed for no reason or by dumb luck.
This is a Super Bowl team.
ARTICLES BY MIKE MAYNARD
Jacks snap skid with 3-1 win over Prosser
QUINCY — The Quincy Jacks (11-3) defended home field Tuesday, defeating the Prosser Mustangs 3-1. This win provided a confidence boost for the team after hitting some obstacles in recent weeks, including losing their prior two games. According to Head Coach Javier Diaz, the win will help them find their mojo again. “These last several games, we've just been limited on how much we've been able to do it by scoring goals, and so that was the focus these last couple weeks was how do we get back to our shape,” said the coach. “We've been working on trying to get that confidence that we had, that shine – we had that brightness at the beginning. Lately we've been hesitant, we've been overthinking some of the attack moments, but today was a good day to find our rhythm.”
Knights win record 54th straight game with shutout of Naches Valley
ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights (6-0) earned a dominant 75-0 win over the Naches Valley Rangers on Friday. Not only did the win keep the Knights undefeated in 2026, but it also set a school record for the program's longest win streak at 54. Head Coach Wiley Allred spoke to the type of athlete it takes to achieve such a feat. “They've got to be dedicated, especially in the offseason and throughout the year, and play together and be unselfish,” Allred said. “These kids have been really unselfish, and they celebrate everybody's success. It goes a long way; it's been very rewarding to coach.”
Volleyball Roundup, Oct. 6 – 12
MOSES LAKE — The state tournament is a month away and local Basin volleyball teams are starting to separate themselves. See below how your favorite teams fared in the prior week of competition.