Week 16 was a nightmare for the Seattle Seahawks (11-4). They got blown out by the Arizona Cardinals (5-9-1) and lost even more key players to injuries in the process, while the San Francisco 49ers (12-3) narrowly defeated the Los Angeles Rams (8-7) at home to take the lead in the NFC West. Here are the summaries of the two games featuring Seattle and its division rivals in Week 16.
San Francisco 49ers 34 – Los Angeles Rams 31
The 49ers defeated the Rams in a thriller and eliminated them from postseason contention. Both teams showcased strong offensive prowess, particularly in the fourth quarter. There were also a few big defensive plays sprinkled in between, including a pick-six by 49ers linebacker Fred Warner right before halftime and several key sacks of Jimmy Garoppolo by the Rams.
Speaking of Garoppolo, he made numerous clutch throws in the final quarter of play including two third and 16 conversions and his receivers answered the call. It all came down to a game-winning field goal by Robbie Gould as time expired.
With this victory, San Francisco controls its own destiny and reclaimed the No. 1 seed ahead of Week 17. Sean McVay and his group face questions this offseason while the 49ers head into a huge season finale against the Seattle Seahawks on the road. Speaking of which…
Arizona Cardinals 27 – Seattle Seahawks 13
The Cardinals marched into the Emerald City and left with their fifth victory there in seven seasons, even though they had nothing to play for. It marked another rare blowout home loss in the Pete Carroll era that now leaves the Seahawks searching for answers.
Injuries plagued the Seahawks on both sides of the ball and it showed in their play. The defense missed tackles and couldn’t get to the quarterback, and the offense failed to produce consistently. The offensive linemen were routinely overmatched and could not protect Russell Wilson, who did not perform very well himself, and the wide receivers were unable to get open on a regular basis. The offense could not overcome the absences of Duane Brown and Chris Carson once he left, and the defense missed the presences of Jadeveon Clowney, Al Woods, Quandre Diggs, and Shaquill Griffin among others.
The Seahawks fall behind the 49ers in the NFC West standings once again and find themselves battered and bruised heading into the biggest regular-season game for the franchise in recent memory.
