SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks' postseason outlook is looking a little more promising following the Minnesota Vikings' upset victory over the New Orleans Saints on Jan. 5.
Because the sixth-seeded Vikings defeated the No. 3 seeded Saints 26-20 in overtime during their wild-card matchup, they travel to the Bay Area to face the NFC West's No. 1 team the San Francisco 49ers.
The No. 5 seeded Seahawks would have faced the 49ers had the Vikings lost.
With their 17-9 win over the NFC East's No. 1 team the Philadelphia Eagles, the Seahawks travel to Lambeau Field for the divisional round of the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers, the NFC's No. 2 seed.
The Vikings' win may have also gifted the Seahawks the chance to host the NFC championship game.
If the Vikings pull off another upset and defeat the 49ers, and the Seahawks defeat the Packers, the Hawks would be spared from having to travel and the two teams would play each other at CenturyLink Field on Jan. 19.
But the Seahawks need to survive Green Bay before that can happen.
The Seahawks and Packers did not face each other in the regular season. The last time they met was last season at CenturyLink Field where the Hawks beat the Packers. The Seahawks' last trip to Lambeau Field was Week 1 of the 2017 season where they lost.
The Packers have won two of the three times they have met the Seahawks in the playoffs. Green Bay ended the Hawks' seasons in 2003 and 2007. The Seahawks defeated the Packers in the NFC championship game to advance to the infamous Super Bowl XLIX.