For the fourth time in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks are the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The last three times the Seahawks were the No. 1 seed, they made the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks clinched the first 14-win season in franchise history with a 13-3 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday, which earned them home-field advantage in the NFC. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the matchup between the Seahawks and 49ers (12-5) was the first regular-season finale in league history with both teams entering with a six-game winning streak.
Before tonight’s loss, San Francisco had won seven of the last eight games between the two teams. With the setback, the 49ers will be the No. 6 seed in the NFC if the Rams beat the Cardinals tomorrow.
Here are my takeaways:
1. Sam Darnold’s redemption story continues for the Seahawks
Last season, Darnold struggled in the critical, final two games of the season for the Minnesota Vikings – a loss to the Detroit Lions with the NFC North title on the line and an NFC Wild Card humbling on the road to the Rams.
[ Super Bowl Odds After Seattle Clinches No. 1 Seed ]
In these two video games, Darnold accomplished 53% of his passes for a mixed 411 yards, with only one landing and two complete turnovers. Darnold was sacked 11 occasions, posting a 66.4 passer ranking.
Nonetheless, Darnold began on the street to redemption two weeks in the past by main the Seahawks to an unbelievable, 38-37 additional time victory towards the Rams by overcoming two second-half interceptions. Confronted with the identical state of affairs as final season in Week 18, in want of a victory to earn the No. 1 seed, Darnold leaned on a powerful working recreation and nasty protection to safe home-field benefit all through the postseason.
Sam Darnold led an environment friendly Seahawks offense that in all probability ought to have scored extra factors on Saturday night time. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Photos)
He completed 20-of-26 for 198 yards and not using a landing, however extra importantly, Darnold, who had 20 turnovers on the season, didn’t flip the ball over. That included a fumbled handoff trade with Zach Charbonnet that the UCLA product managed to recuperate.
Darnold’s Seattle teammates all yr have mentioned they’ve his again, and the USC product returned the favor by taking part in mistake-free soccer in a giant recreation that sealed a division title and first-round bye.
2. Seahawks bully 49ers with a 1-2 combo of Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III
Talking of the working recreation, Seattle gashed San Francisco’s protection from the opening kickoff. Coming into Saturday’s contest, San Francisco had allowed simply 103 dashing yards a recreation, No. 6 within the NFL. Nonetheless, Seattle had 115 yards on the bottom by halftime and 180 yards for the sport.
Walker led the best way with 97 yards, whereas Charbonnet added one other 74 yards and a rating.
Seattle’s potential to regulate the clock and maintain San Francisco’s explosive offense off the sphere helped maintain the 49ers to only three factors. Throughout their six-game profitable streak, the 49ers averaged 36 factors per recreation.
3. Seattle’s protection bottles up San Francisco’s do-everything RB Christian McCaffrey
Whereas Seattle’s working recreation thrived, the protection helped include one of the crucial explosive working backs within the NFL. McCaffrey entered Saturday night time’s recreation with 2,069 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns, becoming a member of LaDainian Tomlinson as the one gamers in NFL historical past with three seasons of at the least 2,000 scrimmage yards and 15 TDs.
Nonetheless, Seattle’s sure-tackling protection held McCaffrey to 23 dashing yards and 57 complete scrimmage yards, because the 49ers struggled to create house within the working recreation or break free the Stanford product within the passing recreation.
McCaffrey additionally dropped a go close to the top zone that Seattle linebacker Drake Thomas became a vital interception to finish a fourth-quarter drive within the crimson zone. The Seahawks additionally did a pleasant job of containing Brock Purdy, who had led the 49ers to a 6-0 file since getting back from a turf toe harm. Purdy completed with simply 127 passing yards, with no touchdowns and an interception for a 64.9 passer ranking.
Linebacker Drake Thomas (No. 42) received a vital interception of Brock Purdy within the crimson zone within the fourth quarter. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Photos)
4. Seahawks kicker Jason Myers’ shocking struggles stored the sport tight
Myers is taken into account top-of-the-line kickers within the league, however the San Diego native struggled on this one with misses from 47 and 26 yards, though the latter got here within the fourth quarter when it was too late for a Seahawks comeback.
Myers additionally booted the ball out of bounds on a kickoff, giving San Francisco the ball on the 40-yard line. Myers had made 18 straight discipline targets coming into Saturday’s recreation and can get an opportunity to get again on observe with a while off.
4 ½. What’s subsequent?
The Seahawks are headed again to the Pacific Northwest to take pleasure in some relaxation earlier than internet hosting a staff to be decided within the NFC Divisional Spherical.
On the opposite aspect, San Francisco will put together to hit the street for the NFC Wild Card spherical. If the Rams lose to the Cardinals tomorrow, the Niners will face the winner of the NFC South. If Los Angeles wins, San Francisco will likely be on the street towards both the Bears or Eagles.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, protecting the Los Angeles Rams for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma Information Tribune. Comply with him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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