Seattle Steamrolls San Francisco

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
December 23, 2012, 8:10 pm
The Seahawks will return to the playoffs for the first time since 2010 after clinching a berth in their 42-13 hammering of the San Francisco 49ers.
With the national spotlight on Seattle for their division-rivalry game against San Francisco, the Seahawks assert themselves over the 49ers but still require help next week if they want to win the NFC West and host a first-round playoff game.
Russell Wilson tossed four TD passes as he inches closer to the rookie mark for touchdown throws in a season set by Peyton Manning.
Marshawn Lynch also eclipsed the 100-yard mark again, the 9th time he's done so this season.
Twenty-four of Lynch's 111 yards came on Seattle's first drive when he found the endzone and gave the Seahawks an early 7-0 lead.
Listen to Marshawn Lynch's TD runLynch would find the endzone again, this time on a dump pass from Wilson, and the Seahawks had a 14-0 lead they would take to the end of the first quarter.
The wheels came off for the 49ers at the start of the second quarter when a David Akers fieldgoal from 21 yards out was blocked by Red Bryant and scooped up and returned 90 yards by Richard Sherman for the back-breaking touchdown.
Akers would connect on two other field goals for the 49ers, and Wilson would find Anthony McCoy for the Seahawks and the game was 28-6 at the half.
Wilson continued to drive the Seahawks seemingly-impossible-to-stop offense in the second half, finding Doug Baldwin in the endzone two times; once in the third quarter and once in the fourth.
San Francisco would score during garbage-time in the fourth when Kaepernick connected with Delanie Walker for the touchdown.
The final whistle would blow shortly after, and the Seahawks had themselves a 42-13 victory.
Seattle improves to 10-5 on the season and clinches a spot in the NFC playoffs.
San Francisco still controls their own destiny in the NFC West. A victory over the Cardinals next week gives the 49ers the division title. A Cardinals victory and a Seattle win over the Rams would clinch the division for the Seahawks.