'Saturday Is Going to Speak for Itself': Seahawks-49ers NFC Title Race

The playoffs start a week early for the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.

The top two teams in the NFC West will square off Saturday night in a rare regular-season game with such high stakes as the winner will earn the top seed in the NFC playoffs with a first-round bye and home-field advantage before the Super Bowl.

"I think in football, out of all sports, home-field advantage is the biggest advantage because I think crowd noise truly affects the game in terms of pass rush and things like that," 49ers coach Kyle Shahanan said. "But, the main thing is just it’s one less game. I’d love to be home. That’s our goal. If that doesn’t work out, we’re excited to go on the road, too."

This game between the Seahawks (13-3) and 49ers (12-4) marks just the fourth time since seeding began in the NFL in 1975 that two teams will play in the final week of the season with the winner guaranteed the No. 1 seed, according to Sportradar.

Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold lost in this spot last year with the Minnesota Vikings against the Detroit Lions, with the only games with stakes like this coming in 1993 when the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants on the way to a second straight Super Bowl title and in 1979 when Dallas beat the now-Washington Commanders.

The game in 2019 came close with the Niners clinching the top seed with the win that was sealed when San Francisco linebacker Dre Greenlaw tackled Jacob Hollister at the 1 on fourth-and-goal in the closing seconds. A Seattle win that night would've given the Seahawks the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.

"I thought it was one of the best plays ever," Shanahan said. "Just watching everyone run on the field after it, it was just a fun, intense game. ... It’s a good reminder of