The NFL regular season is over, but the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks gave us a game for ages, with mere inches being the deciding factor for the division.
The final game of the NFL’s 100th season did not disappoint in Seattle, and a great appetizer before the playoffs next week.
The San Francisco 49ers clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC on Sunday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks, and it came down to centimeters.
The 49ers led 13-0 heading into the second half, but the Seahawks didn’t go away. Seattle got back into the game on its first possession of the half.
After going back and forth with touchdowns on the next five possessions, the 49ers led 26-21 with 2:27 left in the game. The Seahawks forced a three and out and gave the ball back to Russell Wilson with the division on the line. Wilson marched them down to the 1-yard line with a full set of downs and plenty of time.
Then Marshawn Lynch came onto the field to the roar of the Seahawks crowd, and everything unravelled.
In the chaos, the Seahawks took a delay of game, pushing them back to the 6-yard line and sending Lynch to the bench.
Still, the Seahawks still had a shot to win, but were robbed on a blatant pass interference that went uncalled in the end zone. Despite all the fuss the NFL made after last season to institute pass interference reviews, this play was not reviewed. Why? Nobody knows for sure.
On fourth down, Wilson got his pass to Hollister, who was centimeters away from breaking the goal line. Short. The 49ers won, 26-21, wrapping up the regular season.
After holding on, the 49ers clinched not only the NFC West but the top spot in the NFC to give them home-field advantage in the playoffs. This will be their first trip to the postseason since 2014. The next time we see them in action will be against the lowest-remaining seed in the NFC on Jan. 11th.
For Seattle, centimeters was the difference between them hosting a playoff game against the Vikings next week or hitting the road to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. They came up short, and will face the Eagles on Jan. 5th at 4:40 p.m. ET.