The Seahawks are 13-3 and one win (or tie) away from earning the NFC's top seed and an NFC West title. Their Week 18 opponent, the San Francisco 49ers, are playing for those same two prizes, which makes Saturday night's matchup one of the biggest in the NFL in Week 18. But before we fully turn our attention to that big game in Santa Clara, it's time once again to open up the mailbag and answer some questions from you, the fans.

As always, thanks to everyone who asked questions this week, and apologies if I wasn't able to get to yours this time around. And remember, the mailbag is always open for submissions at Seahawks.com/mailbag.

@Ray_Danger_ asks, "With the end of the regular season in sight, what moments do the team think were most influential and electric regarding their success this year? And as we shift over to playoff mode, how do the players and coaches plan to keep the same good vibes rolling?"

A: This is a boring answer, but the way Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald talks about his team's success, and from what we've heard all season from players, the Seahawks are where they are today not because of any one big, electric moment, but rather because of the steady building process that has taken place since general manager and president of football operations John Schneider hired Macdonald after the 2023 season. There were plenty of signs that the Seahawks had a good thing going under Macdonald last year, especially when the Seahawks finished the year winning six of their last eight games, then they got right back to work in the offseason program and started working toward this season.

And the offseason workout program is important to mention here because, as Macdonald has brought up on several occasions, the team's buy-in was very evident from early in the spring with every player showing up for the voluntary portion of the offseason. That's a great thing for any team, but it's particularly big for a young team under a second-year head coach, and one that underwent a ton of change on offense, including a change at offensive coordinator, with Klint Kubiak replacing Ryan Grubb, and at quarterback, with Sam Darnold taking over for Geno Smith.

If you are looking for individual moments that stand out, one I'd point to was the stretch in March in which Schneider and company made the tough decisions to move on from Geno Smith and DK Metcalf, getting valuable trade capital back in the process, followed by a start to free agency in which they signed Darnold, DeMarcus Lawrence and Cooper Kupp. Darnold and Lawrence both had Pro Bowl seasons, and while Kupp hasn't put up huge numbers, the veteran receiver has been such a valuable part of everything the Seahawks are doing.

One other moment that, in retrospect, feels pretty darn big was the way Ernest Jones IV and other Seahawks rallied to Darnold’s defense after he threw four interceptions in a Week 11 loss to the Rams. We've heard from players all season long about how close this team is and how that's a key to their success, and that was on display that day in a big way. And I don't think it's a coincidence that the Seahawks responded to that game with six consecutive wins.

As for keeping the same good vibes, the focus on process that Macdonald has preached all year long should help them stay steady this week rather than focus on the massive stakes or the added spotlight on this game. In Macdonald's world, if you spend each day focused on the task at hand and not looking ahead to the results or what those results will mean, then it doesn't matter if it's a Week 2 game in Pittsburgh or a Week 18 game with the No. 1 seed on the line.

@ThatWiiMaster asks, "There are a lot of players on this team who have little or no playoff experience. With the playoffs not far away, how are the coaches making sure the team is ready for playoff football?"

A: Going back to the previous question, Macdonald is big on keeping things about the day-to-day process, not the big picture. On Wednesday, he'll be looking for his team to have great meetings, walkthrough and practice, then on Thursday he'll look for them to do it again. And if the Seahawks stick with what got them here, then players won't make playoff games bigger than what they are. Yes, the stakes are higher and there are more people watching, but at the end of the day, it's still a football game, and the Seahawks have shown all season long that they're pretty good at this football thing.

@Ole_Overholser asks, "Is it just Grey Zabel and AJ Barner who bring nastiness, edge and emotional leadership to the offense? Who fires them up?"

A: Those two definitely provide those things for the offense, but they're hardly the only ones. When you talk about edge, everyone on the offensive line brings that in some factor, and I'd put Abraham Lucas right up there with anyone in the league for bringing toughness to an O-line. When the Seahawks get the running back going like they have in recent weeks, the running backs also play a big role in bringing an edge. Sam Darnold isn't the most fiery leader, but he definitely leads in a way that is important to the team, including with his steady presence that can help settle an entire team in big moments. Cooper Kupp also has a huge leadership role, not just on gamedays but throughout the week, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while not the most outspoken player, brings an All-Pro level of play and competitiveness that rubs off on others. I'm sure there are more players worth mentioning here, but the point is that, though the offense may not have a ton of brash, outspoken players, that doesn't mean there aren't leaders and players bringing an edge to the game.

@rosebug22.bsky.social asks, "How can I avoid throwing up from anxiety all week?"

A: Meditation? Yoga? Just take some deep breaths and remind yourself that A. no matter what happens Sunday, the Seahawks are still in the playoffs, something you haven't been able to say heading into he final week of the season in quite a while, and B. all of that anxiety won't help anyway since you're not playing or coaching in this game, so try to enjoy it.

Or if none of that works, maybe some Pepto-Bismol?

@segdeha on BlueSky asks "how do we get back on track" when it comes to the slow starts on offense, one of many questions on that topic.

A: The Seahawks have had some slow starts on offense in recent games, including last weekend's win in which they had just three points in the first half. The good news is the Seahawks keep winning because their defense and special teams are so good—that what coaches and players mean when they talk complementary football—and also because their offense tends to find its way in the second half. Ideally the Seahawks will start better this weekend, and coaches and players will keep working on finding those answers, but if they don't they also won't panic about it because of all of the different ways they have been able to win games this year.

"It's kind of like our run game, you know? We've had some games where we've started really great, we've had some games that we haven't, and we've been able to rebound," Macdonald said.

"I think it's hard to attribute it to just one thing. If not, I think we would have probably found a solution by now, but I'll tell you what. Our guys were into it. It's not easy getting up and having your energy ready. You have to do it, you know, going east and things like that, but you have to be very intentional about it. And I thought our guys were ready to go. I thought our guys prepped really well; I thought they had great energy before the game. That's easier said than done. And so, I think we just got to keep attacking it. Keep looking at the openers, keep seeing who's executing what and how we want to attack their structures, making sure our operation's right, that's going to go a long way. I wish I had a single answer for you, but I know our guys are doing the inputs that we want. I think we're just not getting the results we want right now."

Thomas from Meridian, Idaho asks, "Will the Seahawks be playing overseas in 2026?"

A: I have no intel on the schedule for next year, but I will say it feels like a matter of when, not if, the Seahawks will again play an international game in the near future. The Seahawks played in London in 2018 and Munich in 2022, and in both cases, Seahawks fans from throughout Europe and other parts of the world turned out to create a great atmosphere, not just on gameday but for the week leading up to the games in those respective cities. The Seahawks have international marketing rights in Canada, the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and Australia and New Zealand, and while not one of their regions, the Seahawks also have a huge following in the United Kingdom. Also, the Seahawks are a team that has yet to give up a home game to play an international game—their London and Munich games were road games—so with the unbalanced, 17-game schedule, it definitely seems feasible the Seahawks would play an international game in one of these upcoming seasons in which NFC teams have the extra home game.

CHawks12thMan asks, "With Rashid Shaheed in concussion protocol, what are the chances of him making it through the protocol in six days?"

A: Recent history would suggest that, short week or not, it will be tough for the Seahawks to get Rashid Shaheed back for this week's game after he suffered a concussion in Sunday's win over the Panthers. I'm not a doctor (shocking news, I know), and every concussion is unique, so obviously it's impossible to say definitively this early in the week what will happen with Shaheed. But what anyone who has been paying close attention to the NFL probably has noticed is that, in recent years, it has become very rare for players to return from a concussion without missing at least the following game. And that's not a bad thing, from a big-picture standpoint. The league's concussion protocol is meant to keep players safe and, in a lot of cases, protect players from themselves by putting stringent policies in place. But because of that, fewer and fewer players have returned in a week or less.

When it comes to the Seahawks this season, four players have missed a game due to a concussion, Riq Woolen in Week 6, Josh Jobe in Week 10 and Tyrice Knight in Week 12, all of whom suffered the concussion the previous Sunday then missed a game one week later, as well as Jake Bobo, who suffered a concussion in Seattle's final preseason game, the missed the regular-season opener.

None of that is to say Shaheed can't make it back—again, every concussion is different—but there are no shortcuts in the protocol, so with one fewer day between games, recent history suggests it will be tough for him to get cleared.

@RajeshP74187015 asks, "Where's Tory Horton? Is he coming back soon?"

A: Tory Horton is still rehabbing the shin injury that landed him on injured reserve earlier this season. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald has not ruled out a return for the rookie receiver, but he also has not given a specific timeline for when he might return.

"I really think it's a matter of if we're going to get there or we're not going to get there," Macdonald said last week. "As a coach, it's like, yeah, of course we want him back yesterday, but it's just not the way it works. So the more time you spend worrying about it, you're going to drive yourself crazy. So he's working really hard, our trainers are doing a great job. It's just, it's the nature of the beast."