49ers–Seahawks rivalry

49ers–Seahawks rivalry

San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks
First meeting	September 26, 1976 49ers 37, Seahawks 21
Latest meeting	November 26, 2017 Seahawks 24, 49ers 13
Next meeting	December 2, 2018
Statistics
Meetings total	39 (including the playoffs)
All-time series	Seahawks lead 24–15 (including the playoffs)
Postseason results	Seahawks lead 1–0 January 19, 2014: Seahawks 23, 49ers 17
Largest victory	49ers: 38–7 (1988) Seahawks: 41–3 (2005)
Longest win streak	49ers: 4 (2010-12) Seahawks: 9 (2014-present)
Current win streak	Seahawks: 9 wins (2014–present)

The 49ers–Seahawks rivalry is an American football rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League (NFL). As of Week 12 of the 2017 season, the Seahawks lead the all-time series with a record of 24–15, including 1–0 in the playoffs.

The two teams were inter conference rivals until 2002, when the Seahawks returned to the NFC for the first time since their inaugural 1976 season.^[1] Prior to 2002, the 49ers led the all-time series 4–2, but since they became NFC West divisional rivals in 2002, the Seahawks lead the series 22-11. The rivalry was once considered not very significant, due to the two teams having little history against each other and with both suffering significant stretches of mediocrity.^[2] For example, while the Seahawks won four straight division titles from 2004–2007, the 49ers finished in third or fourth place each season and did not have a winning season from 2003–2010. Likewise, the Seahawks suffered four straight losing seasons from 2008–2011. Despite their stretch of mediocrity, the Seahawks have remained competitive in games against the 49ers in those years, especially games at CenturyLink Field, where their worst loss to the 49ers there was by only ten points in 2006.

The rivalry intensified in 2011, when long-standing college rival coaches — former USC coach Pete Carroll and former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh — took over as head coaches, with Carroll becoming the Seahawks' coach in 2010, and Harbaugh becoming the 49ers coach the following season. Both teams drafted young, mobile quarterbacks to lead their franchises, Seattle's Russell Wilson and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick.^[3] Both coaches turned their respective franchises into perennial playoff contenders, and from 2010 to 2014, either the Seahawks or the 49ers have claimed the NFC West championship.

The two teams met in the 2013 NFC Championship Game in CenturyLink Field with a trip to Super Bowl XLVIII on the line, with the Seahawks winning by a score of 23–17. The game ended when Seahawks' cornerback Richard Sherman, whom Jim Harbaugh previously coached at Stanford, tipped an end zone pass that led to a game-ending interception. Seattle went on to defeat the Denver Broncos 43–8 in Super Bowl XLVIII to win their first Super Bowl championship. San Francisco had represented the NFC in a losing effort in Super Bowl XLVII the previous season.

Since Seattle drafted Russell Wilson, the Seahawks have largely dominated the rivalry, holding an 11-2 record against the 49ers in that span.

Game results

Note: All game dates occur on Sunday unless indicated otherwise.

References