Seahawks meeting challenge to go into playoff ‘death mode’

RENTON — Laken Tomlinson buttoned his shiny cuff links. They completed his stylish suit, which matched his chic shades.

Yes, the Seahawks’ veteran left guard was wearing sunglasses indoors, inside the locker room at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.

That figures. It fits Seattle’s sunny-all-over vibe.

After their fourth consecutive victory 30-18 over the Cardinals Sunday strengthened their hold on first place in the NFC West with four games left in the regular season, the Seahawks’ messaging was clear.

“We’re in playoff mode, man,” Tomlinson said.

Music was blaring through the room — again — following the best game for his offensive line, not only this season but in many Seattle seasons.

“We are going to take care of business, man,” Tomlinson said.

Right now, Seahawks business is way good.

In the middle of last month, coach Mike Macdonald challenged his then last-place team when the players returned from their bye and week off. They had just taken a galling, overtime loss at home to the Los Angles Rams.

The coach’s demand: Play the season’s final eight games like it was loser-out.

Because, at 4-5, it was.

The Seahawks call it their “death zone.” As in, a loss can kill the season.

They are halfway into Macdonald’s challenge. They are 4-0 since their 37-year-old rookie head coach issued it.

“When guys are saying ‘We’re in playoff mode,’ that’s every, single week,” quarterback Geno Smith said.

“I think I think the mindset is what’s really setting us apart right now.”

Smith had a calmly efficient, 24-for-30 passing day in Arizona. For the first time this season, he didn’t get sacks, another indicator of how well his previously porous offensive line played. Smith threw for 233 yards, including a touchdown throw to Jaxon Smith-Njigba of 19 yards. That put Seattle ahead for good in the first quarter.

The TD throw on what Smith-Njigba said was offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s perfect scheme was one play after linebacker Ernest Jones IV dropped deep into his hook-zone coverage and intercepted a pass he couldn’t believe Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray

“For us, we’ve been living in, we call it, the ‘death zone.’ We’ve been living in that for the last four games,” Jones said. “Each game is a playoff game in our eyes. We’ve been in the playoff four or five weeks now.”

Can Seahawks sustain this?

Next up: Green Bay. The Packers (9-4) this coming Sunday night at Lumen Field (5:20 p.m., channel 5) are another prime playoff contender in the NFC. Green Bay is a possible first-round playoff opponent, if the Seahawks win the West division they lead by one game over the Rams with a Seattle-at-L.A. game looming to end the regular season Jan. 5 or 6.

Then it’s 11-2 Minnesota coming into Seattle Dec. 22. The Seahawks end the regular season at Chicago (4-9) and the Rams (7-6).

Jones knows how difficult it is to crack the mental whip of “every game is a playoff game” for a sustained period. He won the Super Bowl with the Rams at end of the 2021 season as their middle linebacker.

So The News Tribune asked Jones in Arizona following Seattle’s second win in three weeks over Arizona: Is this mentality that’s working wonders so far sustainable from mid-November through January into — dare Seattle think it — the Super Bowl in February?

“Oh, yeah. Yeah. It’s just depending on the guys you’ve got in that locker room,” Jones said. “I think we’ve got the right guys.

“Of course when you get to playoff games, it is do or die. So at that point, it’s heightened. Everyone knows it then. It’s one play, one play you can win and one play you can lose.

“We’re ready. We’re locked in. We’re just going to keep going.”

The coach who issued that challenge last month is pleased with his guys’ response to it so far.

But he’s not satisfied.

“The mentality that we’re in right now, coming down the home stretch: December football,” Macdonald said.

“Just a great win. Guys had a great mentality, a great week of prep.

“So we have to keep stacking it. We’ve got a big game coming up on prime time this week.

“So, excited — but we’re moving forward. And keep stacking wins.”