This past week, the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to improve to 9-2, while the Arizona Cardinals (3-7-1) had their bye. The San Francisco 49ers (10-1) had a massive win over the Green Bay Packers (8-3) on “Sunday Night Football” to assert their dominance in the NFC, while the Rams (6-5) continued to flounder against the Ravens (9-2) in a gruesome blowout on Monday night.
The only negative aspect of Week 12 for the Seahawks was the 49ers’ victory and the fact that they keep standing in Seattle’s way of the NFC West crown. Here is a more specific look at how the Seahawks’ two active division rivals performed in Week 12.
San Francisco 49ers 37 – Green Bay Packers 8
This was one of the most hotly anticipated games of the season, and the NFL flexed it to primetime as a result. The hype turned out to be all for naught as the 49ers floored Green Bay at home by a score of 37-8 to improve to 10-1, keeping the lead in the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
San Francisco accumulated a 23-0 lead and kept the Packers scoreless until 3:52 left in the third quarter. The 49ers defense held Aaron Rodgers to 104 passing yards, marking one of the worst games of his storied career. They also set an NFL record by registering a minimum of three sacks in eight straight games for the first time since the league started recording sacks as a statistic in 1982, tallying five sacks in this game.
On offense, tight end George Kittle made his presence felt despite his ankle injury, racking up six receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 14 of his 20 passes (70%) for 253 yards, two TDs and no interceptions for a 145.8 passer rating.
The 49ers continued to make their case as the team to beat in the NFC with a blowout victory over a fellow conference contender. San Francisco will play another strong team in the Ravens next week in a game that will be crucial to both teams.
Baltimore Ravens 45 – Los Angeles Rams 6
On the other hand, the Rams were on the receiving end of a blowout by the red-hot Ravens the following evening. Lamar Jackson continued to prove his doubters wrong with another five-touchdown, interception-free performance for 169 yards while rushing for 95 additional yards. The Rams defense could not contain him or the Ravens’ ground game, no matter what or how hard they tried.
They could not establish a rhythm on offense, either. Quarterback Jared Goff struggled once again, throwing two interceptions and fumbling once, although the Rams recovered it. He now has more interceptions (12) than touchdown passes (11) on the season. Todd Gurley’s struggles with arthritis this season have been well-documented, and he was limited again, rushing for a mere 22 yards on six carries.
Quite simply, the Rams were outclassed in every conceivable way and their playoff hopes have been all but destroyed. They will play the Cardinals (3-7-1) for a last-ditch effort to launch themselves back into postseason contention, but it is looking unlikely with the rest of the stacked NFC.
