Cardinals vs Seahawks Playoff Stakes Are Massive

The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks both need a win today.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws a pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Jan. 7, 2024. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks' battle in Week 12 could go a long way into determining the overall playoff picture in the NFC West.

The Cardinals are currently leaders of the division at 6-4 while all other teams sit just one game behind at 5-5.

"Seattle, big time test on the road. Hard place to play. It's loud. The weather is always kind of gray, so that's a thing. The noise is a thing. ... It's going to be a good football game. Good test for us and we have to play well in all three phases to have a chance to win," said head coach Jonathan Gannon this week.

It's hard to say this week isn't a massive game, and that's reflected in the playoff chances of a win or loss for both teams provided by Pro Football Focus.

A Cardinals win would put their postseason odds at 76% while a loss drops Arizona to just 40%.

It's even more dire for the Seahawks to win, as a victory would shoot their playoff odds to 36% while a loss puts them at 8%.

The teams with the most at stake in Week 12 👀 pic.twitter.com/7b8ITDvjDd

— PFF (@PFF) November 23, 2024

NFL.com has Arizona's current odds to make the postseason at 59% - you can read more about the Cardinals' playoff picture here.

With a win over Seattle and losses by the Los Angeles Rams/San Francisco 49ers, the Cardinals could take a commanding two-game lead in the division with just six weeks of regular season football left.

Yet Gannon's Cardinals have done well in their "one week at a time" mantra, and today's test is a big one in a typically loud and hostile environment.

“It's loud. A lot of road games are loud, obviously. Yeah, it's a good environment. It's electric and they do a really good job there. Right up on the water. It’s kind of a cool environment. I always like playing there, but the noise is real," Gannon continued.

"That's part of the things that we have to handle on offense because it makes it challenging in some aspects, but know your opponent, know the environment, know what we have to get done to play winning football on offense.”

Nobody's season ends today, nor are playoff tickets punched - but the stakes are massive in today's NFC West showdown.