NFC West, who wants it?

The Seahawks are not a good team. They aren't very talented. They are hurt. They are underachievers. Or are they?

This preseason I predicted to my football friends that the Seattle Seahawks would win six games. Eight wins would be fantastic. We bantered back and forth about if that was good enough for a playoff bid. In most NFL divisions, the team that finishes with a .500 record, is second place at best. All divisions, except in the alternate universe known best as the NFC West.

None of the West's teams "deserve" a playoff bid, but one team will inevitably "earn" one. That's the rules. In fact, that team gets to host a home playoff game. Can you believe that? With the way the NFC conference and especially the NFC South division is shaping out, the defending-champion, New Orleans Saints, will have to play on the road against the NFC West winner.

That scenario is thanks to the Hotlanta Falcons who have survived a gauntlet and conquered a battery of great teams (including the Saints) on their way to the NFC's best record at 11-2. Atlanta is not a lock to finish on top of New Orleans in their shared division because the Saints, despite their early Superbowl "hangover", still stand at 10-3 overall.

Either way the season finishes out, the bottomline remains the same. New Orleans or Atlanta will be forced to travel to Seattle, St. Louis, or dare I say, San Francisco despite playing at much higher level than any of those wanna-be teams.

But who will that black sheep team be?

Will it be those underachiever, (5-8) 49ers? Crawling back from the dead after losing their first five games this season?

How about that overachieving (6-7) Rams team? This team lost 15 games last year. They start a rookie quarterback. But something about them is dangerous and it's that same rookie. St. Louis' beacon of hope, #1 overall pick, Sam Bradford.

Or is it the tease of the West, your (6-7) Seattle Seahawks? This football team likes to mess with it's fans heads. They love to pull on the 12th Man's heartstrings with wins they shouldn't get and lose those home games in which they are clear favorites. Who are these guys? I'm not sure if they know either.

Most NFL fans and the national media will scoff at anything related to this abomination of a division. That's fair. Yet, the last three regular season games will prove interesting to those involved because all these events are leading up to January 2nd, 2011. On that Sunday, the Seahawks and Rams will clash at Qwest Field; most likely with the title on the line.

To the loyal fans, my recommendation is to hide your kids, hide your wife and cover your eyes; whether you like it or not, an NFC West winner will host a home playoff match and have an odd-defying shot at winning the Superbowl.