Seahawks Remain Fifth Seed, Game Behind 49ers in NFC West

Idle on their bye week, the Seahawks didn’t gain any ground in the NFC West on Sunday and remain a game out of first place with six weeks left to play.

Seattle nearly received an early Christmas gift from Arizona, who held a 26-23 lead over San Francisco inside the two-minute warning at Levis Stadium. But an aggressive blitz by the Cardinals backfired and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo found running back Jeff Wilson Jr. wide open for an eventual game-winning touchdown.

With the 49ers holding on for a 36-26 win aided by a last-second fumble returned for a score, the Seahawks remain in second place in the division and currently hold the NFC’s first wild card as the fifth seed. The Vikings are just behind them with an 8-3 record after erasing a 20-point deficit for a home victory against the Broncos.

Seattle will host Minnesota on Monday Night Football in Week 13, setting up a prime time matchup with tons of playoff implications for both teams.

The Seahawks will have another chance to take over the lead in the NFC West in Week 12 as they’ll travel to face the Eagles, who dropped to 5-5 with a loss to the Patriots on Sunday. As for the 49ers, they’ll be hosting a talented Packers squad as they start a gauntlet featuring three straight games against opponents with at least eight victories.