49ers–Seahawks rivalry
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
| |
| First meeting | September 26, 1976 49ers 37, Seahawks 21 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | September 25, 2016 Seahawks 37, 49ers 18 |
| Next meeting | January 1, 2017 |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 36 (including the playoffs) |
| All-time series | Seahawks lead 21–15 (including the playoffs) |
| Postseason results | Seahawks lead 1–0
|
| Largest victory | 49ers: 38–7 (1988) Seahawks: 41–3 (2005) |
| Longest win streak | 49ers: 4 (2010–12) Seahawks: 6 (2 times: 2003-05, 2014-present) |
| Current win streak | Seahawks: 6 wins (2014–present) |
The 49ers–Seahawks rivalry is an American football rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League (NFL). The Seahawks currently[when?] lead the all-time series record 21–15, including 1–0 in the playoffs.
The two teams were not rivals until 2002, when the Seahawks returned to the NFC for the first time since their inaugural 1976 season.[1] Prior to 2002, the 49ers led the all-time series 4–2, but since they became NFC West divisional rivals in 2002, the Seahawks lead the series 19–11. The rivalry was once considered not very significant, due to the two teams having little history against each other and with both suffering significant stretches of mediocrity.[2] For example, while the Seahawks won four straight division titles from 2004–2007, the 49ers finished in third or fourth place each season and did not have a winning season from 2003–2010. Likewise, the Seahawks suffered four straight losing seasons from 2008–2011. Despite their stretch of mediocrity, the Seahawks have remained competitive in games against the 49ers in those years, especially games at CenturyLink Field, where their worst loss to the 49ers there was by only ten points in 2006.
The rivalry intensified in 2011, when long-standing college rival coaches — former USC coach Pete Carroll and former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh — took over as head coaches, with Carroll becoming the Seahawks' coach in 2010, and Harbaugh becoming the 49ers coach the following season. Both teams drafted young, mobile quarterbacks to lead their franchises, Seattle's Russell Wilson and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick.[3] Both coaches turned their respective franchises into perennial playoff contenders, and from 2010 to 2014, either the Seahawks or the 49ers have claimed the NFC West championship.
Since Russell Wilson became the starter for Seattle in the 2012 season, the 49ers have been outscored 216-92 in the regular season.
The two teams met in the 2013 NFC Championship Game in CenturyLink Field with a trip to Super Bowl XLVIII on the line, with the Seahawks winning by a score of 23–17. The game ended when Seahawks' cornerback Richard Sherman, whom Jim Harbaugh previously coached at Stanford, tipped an end zone pass that led to a game-ending interception. Seattle went on to defeat the Denver Broncos 43–8 in Super Bowl XLVIII to win their first Super Bowl championship. San Francisco had represented the NFC in a losing effort in Super Bowl XLVII the previous season.
Game results
| 49ers' victory | Seahawks' victory | Tied Game | Post-Season Meeting | Overtime Result |
Note: All game dates occur on Sunday unless indicated otherwise.
Pre-NFC West (49ers 4–2)
1970s (Tied 1–1)
| Year | Date | Winner | Result | Loser | Series | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | September 26 | San Francisco 49ers | 37–21 | Seattle Seahawks | SF 1–0 | Kingdome |
| 1979 | October 7 | Seattle Seahawks | 35–24 | San Francisco 49ers | Tied 1–1 | Candlestick Park |
1980s (49ers 2–0)
| Year | Date | Winner | Result | Loser | Series | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | November 25 (Mon.) | San Francisco 49ers | 19–6 | Seattle Seahawks | SF 2–1 | Candlestick Park |
| 1988 | September 25 | San Francisco 49ers | 38–7[4] | Seattle Seahawks | SF 3–1 | Kingdome |
1990s (Tied 1–1)
| Year | Date | Winner | Result | Loser | Series | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | December 8 | San Francisco 49ers | 24–22 | Seattle Seahawks | SF 4–1 | Kingdome |
| 1997 | December 21 | Seattle Seahawks | 38–9 | San Francisco 49ers | SF 4–2 | Kingdome |
2000s (Seahawks 10–6)
| Year | Date | Winner | Result | Loser | Series | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | October 14 (Mon.) | San Francisco 49ers | 28–21 | Seattle Seahawks | SF 5–2 | Seahawks Stadium |
| December 1 | San Francisco 49ers | 31–24 | Seattle Seahawks | SF 6–2 | San Francisco Stadium at Candlestick Point | |
| 2003 | October 12 | Seattle Seahawks | 20–19 | San Francisco 49ers | SF 6–3 | Seahawks Stadium |
| December 27 (Sat.) | Seattle Seahawks | 24–17 | San Francisco 49ers | SF 6–4 | San Francisco Stadium at Candlestick Point | |
| 2004 | September 26 | Seattle Seahawks | 34–0 | San Francisco 49ers | SF 6–5 | Qwest Field |
| November 7 | Seattle Seahawks | 42–27 | San Francisco 49ers | Tied 6–6 | Monster Park | |
| 2005 | November 20 | Seattle Seahawks | 27–25 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 7–6 | Monster Park |
| December 11 | Seattle Seahawks | 41–3 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 8–6 | Qwest Field | |
| 2006 | November 19 | San Francisco 49ers | 20–14 | Seattle Seahawks | SEA 8–7 | Monster Park |
| December 14 (Thur.) | San Francisco 49ers | 24–14 | Seattle Seahawks | Tied 8–8 | Qwest Field | |
| 2007 | September 30 | Seattle Seahawks | 23–3 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 9–8 | Monster Park |
| November 12 (Mon.) | Seattle Seahawks | 24–0 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 10–8 | Qwest Field | |
| 2008 | September 14 | San Francisco 49ers | 33–30 (OT) | Seattle Seahawks | SEA 10–9 | Qwest Field |
| October 26 | Seattle Seahawks | 34–13 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 11–9 | Candlestick Park | |
| 2009 | September 20 | San Francisco 49ers | 23–10 | Seattle Seahawks | SEA 11–10 | Candlestick Park |
| December 6 | Seattle Seahawks | 20–17 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 12–10 | Qwest Field |
2010s (Seahawks 9–5)
| Year | Date | Winner | Result | Loser | Series | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | September 12 | Seattle Seahawks | 31–6 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 13–10 | Qwest Field |
| December 12 | San Francisco 49ers | 40–21 | Seattle Seahawks | SEA 13–11 | Candlestick Park | |
| 2011 | September 11 | San Francisco 49ers | 33–17 | Seattle Seahawks | SEA 13–12 | Candlestick Park |
| December 24 (Sat.) | San Francisco 49ers | 19–17 | Seattle Seahawks | Tied 13–13 | CenturyLink Field | |
| 2012 | October 18 (Thur.) | San Francisco 49ers | 13–6 | Seattle Seahawks | SF 14–13 | Candlestick Park |
| December 23 | Seattle Seahawks | 42–13 | San Francisco 49ers | Tied 14–14 | CenturyLink Field | |
| 2013 | September 15 | Seattle Seahawks | 29–3 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 15–14 | CenturyLink Field |
| December 8 | San Francisco 49ers | 19–17 | Seattle Seahawks | Tied 15–15 | Candlestick Park | |
| January 19, 2014 | Seattle Seahawks | 23–17 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 16–15 | CenturyLink Field | |
| 2014 | November 27 (Thur.) | Seattle Seahawks | 19–3 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 17–15 | Levi's Stadium |
| December 14 | Seattle Seahawks | 17–7 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 18–15 | CenturyLink Field | |
| 2015 | October 22 (Thur.) | Seattle Seahawks | 20–3 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 19–15 | Levi's Stadium |
| November 22 | Seattle Seahawks | 29–13 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 20–15 | CenturyLink Field | |
| 2016 | September 25 | Seattle Seahawks | 37-18 | San Francisco 49ers | SEA 21–15 | CenturyLink Field |
Pre Season
| Year | Date | Winner | Result | Loser | Series | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | August 5 (Wed.) | San Francisco 49ers | 27–24 (OT) | Seattle Seahawks | Kingdome | |
| August 22 (Sat.) | San Francisco 49ers | 24–17 | Seattle Seahawks | Candlestick Park | ||
| 1988 | August 27 (Sat.) | San Francisco 49ers | 27–21 | Seattle Seahawks | Candlestick Park |
References
- ^ Banks, Don (May 22, 2001). "Seattle moved to NFC in approved realignment plan". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ Iyer, Vinnie (June 18, 2013). "49ers-Seahawks rivalry: Get ready for a long-running drama". Sporting News. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ Farrar, Doug (December 5, 2013). "Second-year starting quarterbacks Kaepernick, Wilson are key men in revived Seahawks/49ers rivalry". SI.com. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ "San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks". pro-football-reference.com. September 25, 1988. Retrieved September 21, 2016.