Seahawks-Rams is a loser, er, winner take all

In another testament to how strange this NFL season has been, the most interesting and high-stakes finale is between St. Louis and Seattle.

Both are losing teams.

That’s right, the best the NFC West can do is send a .500 team to the playoffs as division champion. If the host Seahawks win, they will become the first team in league history to reach the postseason with a losing record. NBC, which was planning to broadcast a Sunday night game though it hadn’t yet made its selection, successfully had Rams-Seahawks moved into that slot.

Somehow, Pete Carroll’s team is still alive despite losing seven of its last nine games. Always compete, indeed.

“We have to get focused on in a unique way I think, because last week we leave behind us, last season we leave behind us, and it comes down to championship time,” the former USC coach said.

Further complicating matters for the Seahawks is that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is hobbled with a nagging hip injury, forcing the team to prepare to start the inexperienced Charlie Whitehurst.

Still, desperation is a funny thing, and division rivalries can be unpredictable, especially when you factor in the possibility of foul weather and, in Seattle’s case, the sure thing of a very loud crowd.

Be assured of this much, the Seahawks feel gratitude they still have a pulse.

“It’s awesome; we should be saying thank you, thank you, thank you, this is just amazing,” Hasselbeck said after Sunday’s 38-15 loss at Tampa Bay. “For us to still have this opportunity, as poorly as we have played at times, as poorly as we performed tonight, is a huge opportunity and one that very, very few teams get.”

Other Week 17 games to watch:

Pittsburgh at Cleveland — This is hugely important to the Steelers, whose playoff hopes last season were dealt a death blow in Week 14 with a 13-6 loss at Cleveland. If the Steelers win, they lock up the No. 2 seeding in the conference and a first-round bye. If they lose, and Baltimore beats Cincinnati, the Steelers would have to go on the road as a wild-card team. Big difference.

Tennessee at Indianapolis — The Colts had the luxury last season of taking their foot off the gas and coasting into the playoffs. Not so this year, when they’ve faced win-or-else scenarios each week. If they beat the Titans — or Jacksonville loses to Houston — the Colts win the AFC South. Their current three-game winning streak started with a win over the Titans … but it was a narrow one: 30-28 in Nashville.

Chicago at Green Bay: One of the NFL’s classic rivalries has big implications in the NFC. The Packers clinch a playoff spot with a win. The Bears have the NFC North and a first-round bye in hand but still have a shot at the No. 1 seeding and home-field advantage throughout.

Carolina at Atlanta — The Falcons can clinch the NFC South and a first-round bye with a victory, and they’re very tough at home. The Panthers, meanwhile, are a mess. No one has ever blown a layup, have they?

sam.farmer@latimes.com

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