Seahawks beat 49ers, clinch NFC No. 1 seed for 4th time in team history

For the fourth time in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks are going into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.

The Seahawks went on the road and defeated the San Francisco 49ers 13-3 in a winner-take-all showdown at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday night, and Seattle’s win clinched both the NFC West championship and top seed from the NFC to the postseason, which comes with a bye through the wild card round.

Seahawks beat 49ers | Instant Reaction | Box score

Seattle has historically done well when going into the postseason as the top seed. Their previous three times they won the distinction were the same seasons as their three Super Bowl appearances (the 2005, 2013 and 2014 seasons).

The Seahawks will get next weekend to rest up after finishing the regular season with a 14-3 record, the first 14-win season in franchise history. They are NFC West champs for a 10th time and division champs for the 12th time, adding to the history books in their 50th NFL season. Seattle won the NFC West for first time since 2020, with it coming in its second year under head coach Mike Macdonald.

The 49ers would have won the division and conference’s No. 1 seed with a win, but the Seahawks’ defense shut down a San Francisco offense that hadn’t scored less than 37 points in a game since November, keeping the Niners from even reaching the end zone. San Francisco ends the regular season with a 12-5 record and will have to wait to find out if it will be the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the playoffs.

Seattle will be in the dark on their potential division round matchup, as the NFL sends the lowest remaining seed after the wild card round to face the No. 1 seed.

The Seahawks are now guaranteed a home game in the divisional round, and would also play at home if they reach the NFC Championship. They would head back to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Feb. 8 if they punch their ticket to the Super Bowl for a fourth time.

More on Seattle Seahawks’ win

• Stacy Rost: Hawks show why their fatal flaw may not matter
• Seahawks’ season-long commitment to run game pays off in massive win
• 49ers’ offense goes silent against suffocating Seahawks defense
• The five biggest plays that delivered Seattle Seahawks’ win over 49ers

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