Seahawks set sights on first-round bye
Carroll’s crew hopes to rediscover its swagger heading into Sunday’s season-ender against the 49ers
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Seattle Seahawks are stumbling into the playoffs instead of peaking as usual at this time of year.
With three losses in the past five games, the Seahawks (9-5-1) head into Sunday’s season finale at San Francisco (2-13) needing a win and some help in order to secure a firstround bye.
Coach Pete Carroll’s teams usually are at their best down the stretch, winning five straight to end 2012, nine of 11 in 2013, six in a row in 2014 and six of seven last year to surge into the post-season.
“When you lose, you can’t look at what people are writing, you just have to believe in your teammates and believe in the organization and the coaches,” defensive lineman Michael Bennett said.
“I think everyone in this organization believes that we can win a Super Bowl and believes that we can win the playoff games. That’s all that really matters. It doesn’t really matter about everything else.”
The 49ers can only wish to have problems like the Seahawks. San Francisco snapped a franchise-record 13-game losing streak by winning 22-21 last week in Los Angeles and need another win Sunday to avoid tying the franchise record for losses in a season reached in 1978, 1979 and 2004.
Instead of gearing up for the playoffs, the 49ers are headed into another off-season of uncertainty with questions about the job security of general manager Trent Baalke and coach Chip Kelly, and a roster overhaul expected as the Niners look to rebound.
“You know there’s going to be some kind of change,” Niners left tackle Joe Staley said.
“That’s how it is. All you can concern yourself with is doing your job and holding up your end of the bargain.”
Here are some other things to watch:
RUSTY RIVALRY
What was one of the NFL’s most-heated rivalries just a few years ago when Jim Harbaugh had the 49ers going to three straight NFC title games and the Seahawks were at the top of the league has lost its lustre. The Niners have just 15 wins the past three seasons and have had few games with any meaning.
RUNNING RAWLS
Seattle expects running back Thomas Rawls to play after he left last Saturday’s game with a bruised shoulder and did not return in the second half. After two lacklustre weeks on the ground, Seattle would like to get back to the run game it had for most of November and the early part of December when the Seahawks were averaging more than 140 yards per game during that stretch.
Seattle was held to 72 yards rushing two weeks ago by Los Angeles and had just 78 yards last week against Arizona.
CENTURY MARK
Wide receiver Doug Baldwin needs eight catches to become the first Seattle player to have 100 catches in a single season. Baldwin is coming off the best game of his career with 13 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown last week against Arizona. Baldwin was targeted 19 times in the game, the second most of any player in a game this season.
Baldwin needs three receptions to better Bobby Engram’s franchise mark of 94 catches set in 2007.