Not long ago, we were ready to crown the Packers as NFC champions. Now they are tied with the Vikings for the NFC North lead. My how the NFL changes from week to week.

With the Seahawks on their bye week, they were able to sit back and watch the NFC playoff picture shake out and gain a little ground while sitting on their couch. 

Before Sunday, the Falcons, Rams and Vikings sat in the way of the Seahawks’ playoff hopes (if they had their eyes set on the wild card that is). Fortunately for them, two out of the three dropped their games, and the Packers fell into a tie for the NFC North and only two games ahead of Seattle.

Somehow Blaine Gabbert and the 49ers were able to eek out a win over Dan Quinn’s Falcons, dropping them to 6-3.

With the Rams-Vikings, we got exactly what we expected. A grind-it-out slugfest that saw Teddy Bridgewater walk off the field with a concussion. Gurley and Peterson both had decent games, with AD getting the last laugh with 125 yards on the ground and the W. Both present Seattle with an interesting matchup as they do not throw the ball, leaving the Legion of Boom with fewer chances to force turnovers.

Most remarkable is probably the inability of the Packers to do much of anything until late against the Panthers. Yes, they were able to inch within eight at the end, but they were clearly overmatched for the majority of the game. They now have two games left against Minnesota and tough games in Oakland and Arizona. After two subpar games, the Seahawks could actually overtake the cheese heads if they’re not careful.

Seattle controls their destiny in someway. They have two games against the division leaders, with the first one this Sunday. Additionally, they have one each against Saint Louis (who they’re now tied with) and in Minnesota. Both games will be a battle on the defensive end, and will come down to which offense can come up with clutch plays.

Even though Todd Gurley didn’t extend his streak of games with over 125 yards, he did grind out 89 yards on the ground. That should be a testament to how stout the Vikings run D is, and put the Seahawks on notice for when they play there in a few weeks.

Marshawn looks to be getting his strength back, and the line looks to finally be jelling. Hopefully when time comes they will be in full gear and able to supersede the Vikings D.

More importantly, Russell Wilson and the offense hopefully will have solved their red zone issues. That way they can keep defenses on their toes, and make them respect the air attack.

Seattle got help this week, inching closer to a playoff spot. But now it is up to them to help themselves.

photo: Flickr/Mike Morris