on tap for NFL teams Sunday Steve Largent Color Rush Jersey , the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals get ready to face off in Week 17 at Century Link. The game will serve as a tune up for the playoffs for the Seahawks, while for the Cardinals it will determine whether they maintain their death grip on the top overall pick or not. In any case, I’ve looked at how the Hawks may have had some favorable luck in terms of getting to face three key opponents from the central time zone in primetime games, but the schedule maker also didn’t hold back when handing out a golden opportunity to be successful. By this, I mean that one key point some will look at for analysis when the playoffs come is the schedule a team faced while making its way to the postseason. When the second round of the 2018 Beak Bowl comes to a conclusion Sunday afternoon, regardless of the outcome, it is likely to have been the sixth game the Hawks played against a team currently slated to choose in the top five of the 2019 NFL Draft. Specifically the Hawks will have played the Cardinals twice, the San Francisco 49ers twice, along with games against the Detroit Lions and the Oakland Raiders. Now, I’m not blaming the Seahawks for playing such a soft schedule, the NFL’s schedule making system is completely formulaic, and the only control a team has over its opponents are where it finishes in the division this year to change two opponents next season. And the Hawks certainly won the majority of the games they have played, which means they certainly aren’t a bad team, but does their schedule stack up against other teams that are entering Week 17 with nine wins? Which other teams have played six or more games against teams slated to draft in the top 5, and how should that help shape our expectations for the postseason? I mean, it’s fairly obvious that even if a team went undefeated during the regular season, if they did it by accumulating close victories over teams like Ball State, Vanderbilt and Pitt, they most certainly would get obliterated by real competition. Wait, that was the college playoffs Patrick Kerney Color Rush Jersey , nevermind. So, if the draft were to be held based on the standings through Week 16, here are the teams that would be drafting in the top five: 1: Arizona Cardinals (3-12)2: San Francisco 49ers (4-11)3: New York Jets (4-11)4: Oakland Raiders (4-11)5: Detroit Lions (5-10)In any case, here is a rundown of how many games every NFL team played against the current projected top five.How many games each team has played against opponents slated to draft top five.TeamGames versus teams scheduled to draft top 5WinsTeamGames versus teams scheduled to draft top 5WinsNow that’s a lot of text, and most people are more visual, so here’s a chart of what the data looks like, with the playoff teams circled. Yes, those are some crude circles and multiple designators, and yes I could have used different color dots, but it didn’t do much good with the dots that needed to represent multiple teams. Another illustration showing the benefit of getting to play a bottom heavy schedule is looking at the probability of a team making the playoffs based on the number of top five drafting teams they played, so this is that in data form. Games against bottom five and probability of being in playoffsGames against opponent scheduled to draft top fiveProbability of making playoffs (based on standings entering Week 17)Games against opponent scheduled to draft top fiveProbability of making playoffs (based on standings entering Week 17)And for those who prefer a visual representation. Again, I’m not saying the Seahawks are in any way a bad team. They played the schedule they were given, and they won enough of those games to make the postseason. And if they were good enough to be victorious in nine (or ten depending on how Week 17 turns out), then they were obviously good enough to be doing something right, because wins aren’t free in the NFL. All I’m saying is that this is one tool that can be used to evaluate how strong the wins a team had over the course of the year are, and it’s a little telling that 67% of the teams that will have played five or more games against bottom competition are currently in a playoff spot. That said, it will certainly be interesting to see what happens with the final NFC Wild Card spot that is up for grabs today, and whether the Minnesota Vikings are able to hold on, or if the Philadelphia Eagles get a little help and squeeze their way into the playoffs. 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Just a good way to bring a Seahawks companion to your morning of sippin' joe by the seaside.ESPN expert picks Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to win 2019 MVPESPN expert Kevin Seifert has picked Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson as his early favorite to win Most Valuable Player in 2019.National NFL writer says Seahawks QB Russell Wilson can win MVP in 2019 - seattlepi.comSeahawks news: NFL analyst predicts Russell Wilson will win MVP in 2019An ESPN NFL analyst predicts that Seattle Seahawks star quarterback Russell Wilson will win the MVP award in the 2019 season.New Google Hangout this Friday « Seahawks Draft BlogFriday Round-Up: Tre Flowers Visits Two Elementary Schools To Promote Healthy LifestylesSeahawks cornerback Tre Flowers visited elementary schools in both Utah and Idaho to speak to students about living a healthy lifestyle.Could undrafted free agent Jay-Tee Tiuli make Seahawks roster?The Seattle Seahawks added some competition to their defensive tackle position, including Eastern Washington's Jay-Tee Tiuli.Gas station burritos and one stoplight: Seahawks rookie rises from tiny hometown - Seattle Seahawks Blog- ESPNSeahawks first-round pick L.J. 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The veteran linebacker is returning to Baltimore, the team announced on Friday.Giants OT Nate Solder undergoes ankle procedure - NFL.comNew York Giants left tackle Nate Solder will be out until training camp after undergoing ankle surgery, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoportand Mike Garafolo.Engram: Daniel Jones picking up offense 'really fast' - NFL.comIt remains to be seen what the actual timeline is for rookie Daniel Jones to take over as the Giants quarterback. For now, he's impressed not only OC Mike Shula but tight end Evan Engram.Ted Ginn Jr. says he'll race anyone for '$10K or better' - NFL.comNew Orleans Saints wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. said he's willing to race anyone for $10,000 or better. At the 2007 NFL Scouting Combine, Ginn ran a 4.37 40-yard dash on a sprained foot.Roundup: Ravens signing Shane Ray, Michael Floyd - NFL.comFormer Broncos first-round pick Shane Ray signed with the Ravens along with veteran receiver Michael Floyd. Plus, other transactions we're monitoring around the league.Many questions, few answers on Telvin Smith’s year off – ProFootballTalkSince Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith made the surprising announcement that he's skipping the 2019 NFL season, there have been many questions about what prompted him to make that decision. And few answers.Rumors fly of the Jets pursuing Peyton Manning – ProFootballTalkJets CEO and chairman Christopher Johnson wants a "great strategic thinker" to run the football operation. He needs someone who can work with coach Adam Gase. And at the intersection possibly resides one and only one name. Peyton Manning.Prosecution appeals suppression order in Kraft case – ProFootballTalkWith the bulk of the evidence against Patriots owner Robert Kraft ruled inadmissible in the solicitation of prostitution case against him, the prosecution is playing the only card currently in its hand: It's appealing the ruling.