SEATTLE — Fueled by its deafening home crowd, the Seattle Seahawks locked up their spot in the postseason Sunday night.
They also reinforced the notion no one in the NFC wants to see them when the playoffs begin, even if they are a wild card.
Russell Wilson threw a career high four touchdown passes to move into second placefor most touchdown passes by a rookie. Marshawn Lynch scored two first-quarter touchdowns, and the Seahawks blew out the San Francisco 49ers 42-13.
Richard Sherman returned a blocked field goal 90 yards for another touchdown as the Seahawks (10-5) jumped to a 21-0 lead on a cold and rainy December night at CenturyLink Field.
“That crowd was crazy. They were great,” Seattle Coach Pete Carroll said. “And I’m so thrilled we were able to share it with them. They deserve a playoff team and they got it.”
Seattle clinched its first 10-win season since 2007 and can win the NFC West if it beats St. Louis at home Sunday and Arizona upsets the 49ers in San Francisco.
The Seahawks, 7-0 at home, delayed San Francisco (10-4-1) from celebrating a division title on Seattle’s turf. They turned Jim Harbaugh’s 49th birthday into a miserable evening.
Seattle has outscored its last three opponents (Arizona, Buffalo, San Francisco)150-30.
Lynch finished with 111 yards on 26 carries, his third consecutive game against the 49ers topping 100 yards.
Wilson found Lynch for a 9-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, Anthony McCoy for a 6-yarder late in the first half, and Doug Baldwin on scoring passes of four and six yards in the second half.
Wilson now has 25 touchdown passes, one behind Peyton Manning’s NFL rookie record of 26. He completed 15 of 21 passes for 171 yards. His only incompletion in the first half was a deflected pass that Patrick Willis intercepted.
Wilson led Seattle on scoring drives of 9, 12, 13 and 15 plays. He was never threatened by Aldon Smith, who remained stuck on 19 1/2 sacks for the season thanks to the play of Seattle left tackle Russell Okung.
San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s forgettable night was capped when Sherman stepped in front of his pass for Randy Moss at the back of the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter for his seventh interception of the season.
Kaepernick was 19 of 36 passing for 244 yards with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Delanie Walker with 1:40 left. Frank Gore had just 28 yards on six carries after rushing for a season-high 131 when the teams met in Week 7.
San Francisco played without defensive tackle Justin Smith due to an elbow injury that ended a streak of 185 straight starts. The 49ers lost tight end Vernon Davis in the first quarter with a concussion suffered when he was knocked off his feet on a huge hit along the sideline from Seattle safety Kam Chancellor that looked legal but drew a penalty for hitting a defenseless receiver.
Sports, Pages 17 on 12/24/2012