The Seattle Seahawks stunned the San Francisco 49ers 13-3 on Saturday night, clinching both the NFC West division title and the coveted #1 seed in the NFC playoffs. This season-ending road victory gives Seattle a bye during Wild Card Weekend and ensures they’ll play at home throughout their playoff run.
The showdown between these division rivals had major postseason implications. Unlike the win-or-go-home battle between Pittsburgh and Baltimore on Sunday night, this matchup determined both divisional supremacy and playoff positioning – with Seattle emerging triumphant in both regards.
The @Seahawks are your 2025 NFC West champs 🏆 pic.twitter.com/AN327lTn4k
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2026
Legendary Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch couldn’t contain his excitement following his former team’s victory. He took to Twitter to celebrate the win and bestowed quarterback Sam Darnold with a memorable new nickname: “Ginger Cuz.”
The unique moniker caught attention across social media. Former NFL receiver Torrey Smith responded that he’d be laughing about “Ginger Cuz” for “the next month.”
Darnold’s first season in Seattle has been historic. By securing 14 wins, he’s accomplished something only Tom Brady has done before – winning at least 14 games in consecutive NFL seasons.
Darnold’s Impressive Season
The quarterback started all 17 games for Seattle this year. He completed a career-best 67.7% of his passes while throwing for 4,048 yards.
He finished with 25 touchdowns against 14 interceptions.
With their #1 seed secured, the Seahawks will wait to see which opponent emerges from Wild Card Weekend. They’ll face one of four possible teams in the Divisional Round: the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, or Green Bay Packers – depending on next weekend’s results.
Seattle now holds the inside track to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, with the postseason path running directly through their notoriously loud home stadium.