Seattle Seahawks: vs. San Francisco 49ers
There may not be a team that has demonstrated quiet and consistent excellence like the Seattle Seahawks in the Russell Wilson era. While the Legion of Boom got the credit for Seattle’s win in Super Bowl XLVIII, most of that group is gone now yet the Seahawks keep winning.
Wilson and head coach Pete Carroll have done a great job keeping Seattle in the hunt every year and this past season was no exception. There were stretches of the season where Wilson looked like an MVP candidate despite having few reliable pass catchers outside of Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.
The Seahawks were inches away from a division title, but Jacob Hollister was stopped short of the goal line in the final seconds to hand the division to the San Francisco 49ers. That matter of inches had major ramifications for both teams, with Seattle winning a road game in the Wild Card round before losing to Green Bay at Lambeau Field.
The 49ers went to the Super Bowl as a result of home-field advantage, but they were only two games better than Seattle in the regular season. The Seahawks snapped the 49ers’ unbeaten season earlier in the year and would have won the division if Hollister got into the end zone.
There is no bigger target for Seattle to aim at than San Francisco, which is the biggest roadblock to teams looking to contend in the NFC. Topping the 49ers could give the Seahawks a great shot at not only a division title but home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.