Seahawks vs. 49ers: Who's Chasing Who for NFC West Lead?

The Seattle Seahawks have seen their division lead slip away in the past two weeks, with the San Francisco 49ers now sharing the top spot in the NFC West after a dominant victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football.

When the Seattle Seahawks hit the field in Munich, Germany for their contest with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they did so with a comfortable game and a half lead atop the NFC West division.

However, since falling 21-16 to the Buccaneers, Seattle's closest division rival, the San Francisco 49ers, have won two straight primetime games, the latest of which a 38-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football.

With that, the Seahawks' division lead has evaporated, as both teams hold a 6-4 record with seven games still to play. The 49ers technically have the tiebreaker due to their commanding 27-7 win over Seattle in Week 2.

However, everything's still to play for entering the closing stretch, including what's shaping up to be a crucial Thursday Night Football game at Lumen Field on Dec. 15 when San Francisco travels to Seattle.

Still, there's three games to play for both sides before then; the Seahawks will host the Las Vegas Raiders (3-7), travel to take on the Los Angeles Rams (3-7) and return home to face the Carolina Panthers (3-8). In essence, it's a very manageable stretch.

The schedule isn't as easy for the 49ers, who get three straight home games, hosting the New Orleans Saints (4-7), Miami Dolphins (7-3) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5).

Considering how both teams have played, there's a chance the second and final regular season matchup features both at 9-4. With just three games to play thereafter, the stakes are set to be at a season high ... but the Seahawks can't afford to look ahead and suffer a setback.

Seattle will look to get back to its winning ways and re-gain momentum lead (and the division lead) Sunday against the Raiders, with kickoff set for 1:05 p.m.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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