As the NFL season winds down to its closing weeks, subpar teams are weeded out of the mix and the playoff picture comes into focus. Still, there are a few teams teetering on the bubble of division championships and wildcard births with upcoming matchups that bear significant implications — none more then the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers.
After appearing in last year’s NFC championship game, in which Kyle Wilson handed the Giants a direct path to the Super Bowl, the 49ers were clear favorites to capture the NFC West title this season. Currently the 49ers boast a first place record of 9-3-1, and most believe San Fran has a tighter grip on the NFC West than Colin Kaepernick has on the 49ers starting quarterback job, but the division is still up for grabs with three weeks left in the season.
Coming off a record setting 58-0 victory over the abysmal Arizona Cardinals, the Russell Wilson-led Seahawks have an opportunity to steal the West from the 49ers with a remaining schedule that plays in their favor.
But first, two things need to happen: The Seahawks have to defeat the Buffalo Bills, and the 49ers must lose to the Patriots.
The Seahawks will travel to Buffalo this up coming Sunday to take on a 5-8 Bills team that ranks 28th against the run. And with Marshawn Lynch coming off a 128-yard three-touchdown performance against the Cardinals — chances are he’ll continue his success against the Bills porous run defense.
The 49ers, on the other hand, will face a Patriots team that hasn’t lost a regular season home game in December since 2002, and are one of the hottest teams in the NFL coming off a decisive win over the Houston Texans on Monday night.
If the Seahawks win and the 49ers lose in week fifteen, week sixteen’s NFC west showdown will prove to be the most pivotal game for both teams this season, with the edge going to the Seahawks. The reason for such a bold prediction: Seattle has the luxury of facing the 49ers at home, where they’re 6-0 and feature the NFL’s loudest home crowd. Conversely, two of the three 49ers’ losses have come on the road this season. If the Seahawks are able to pull out a win, and the 49ers fall to the Patriots, there’s no doubt Century Link Field will be rocking — giving Seattle the twelth-man advantage they’ll need to pull out a victory over the 49ers.
If the aforementioned scenario plays out, going into the final week of the season, the Seahawks will be 10-5 and the 49ers will remain 9-5-1. This will mark the first time in the season the 49ers would not be in control of their own destiny.
The Seahawks complete the regular season against a Rams team that’s played well as of late, but will be coming off tough games against the Minnesota Vikings and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 49ers will play the Arizona Cardinals in the regular season finale, a game they should win fairly easily.
For the Seahawks to win their division, they’ll need a little help, but the battle for the west is far from over.
