Seahawks’ loss to Vikings sends their playoff chances tumbling

SEATTLE (AP) — For the Seattle Seahawks, there is now no easy path to the postseason.

According to the NFL, the Seahawks’ probability of making the playoffs fell to 24% after Sunday’s 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, who pulled ahead on a late touchdown pass from Sam Darnold to Justin Jefferson and held on thanks to a game-sealing interception of Seattle’s Geno Smith.

Had they beaten the Vikings, the Seahawks could have clinched the NFC West by winning their final two games. Their fate is now out of their hands. The division-leading Los Angeles Rams could eliminate the Seahawks with a win over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.

“Our destiny is not in our hands right now, which is tough,” coach Mike Macdonald said. “But we still have a ton of football to play for. I mean a break here or there, we’re right back in it and we’re rolling.”

Just two weeks ago, the Seahawks led the NFC West by one game and had a better than 50% chance of making the postseason. Now, they are one game behind the Rams, who beat the New York Jets on Sunday for their fourth straight win.

The Seahawks would still have a chance at the division title if Los Angeles loses on Saturday.

“We’ve just got to handle our part, which is win out and then let the chips fall where they fall,” linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. “Hopefully catch a little luck and we can get in there. But, yeah, it’s a tough one.”

Seattle could still win the strength-of-victory tiebreaker over the Rams to clinch the division, but the situation that would make that possible is extremely unlikely. It would require San Francisco, Las Vegas, Minnesota, New Orleans and Buffalo to lose out and Denver, Miami, Atlanta and Arizona to win the rest of their games.

The Seahawks fell out of contention for a wild-card spot with Sunday’s loss.