2015 Seattle Seahawks season | |
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Owner | Paul Allen |
General manager | John Schneider |
Head coach | Pete Carroll |
Home field | CenturyLink Field |
Results | |
Record | 10–6 |
Division place | 2nd NFC West |
Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Vikings) 10–9 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Panthers) 24–31 |
Pro Bowlers | 7
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AP All-Pros | 3
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Uniform | |
The 2015 season was the Seattle Seahawks' 40th in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth under head coach Pete Carroll.
The Seahawks started the season 2–4, after blowing a number of fourth quarter leads, but they then proceeded to win eight of their last ten games, finishing the season 10–6 and clinching the #6 seed in the NFC playoffs. This marked the fourth consecutive season in which the Seahawks secured double digit wins. However, after a Week 10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Seahawks failed to improve on their 12–4 record from 2014. Additionally, the Seahawks failed to win their third consecutive NFC West title after the Cardinals' Week 15 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. During their winning streak, the team clinched a playoff spot with a Week 15 win over the Cleveland Browns. In a five-game winning streak between Weeks 10 and 15, quarterback Russell Wilson posted a passer rating of over 120 in each game, the longest such streak in league history. [1] Wilson led the NFL in passer rating for the season.
The Seahawks defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round after the Vikings blew a potential game-winning field goal attempt. In the Divisional round, the Seahawks fell behind 31–0 to the Carolina Panthers at halftime and ultimately lost 31–24, ending their hopes of becoming the first team since the 1990–1993 Buffalo Bills to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls.
This season marked the fourth year in a row that Seattle's defense ranked first in scoring defense. The only other team to accomplish this feat were the Cleveland Browns of the 1950s. [2]
Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
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2 | 63 | Frank Clark | DE | Michigan |
3 | 69 | Tyler Lockett | WR | Kansas State |
4 | 130 | Terry Poole | OT | San Diego State |
134 | Mark Glowinski | G | West Virginia | |
5 | 170 | Tye Smith | CB | Towson |
6 | 209 | Obum Gwacham | DE | Oregon State |
214 | Kristjan Sokoli | G | Buffalo | |
7 | 248 | Ryan Murphy | CB | Oregon State |
Compensatory selection |
Draft trades
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
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1 | August 14 | Denver Broncos | L 20–22 | 0–1 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
2 | August 21 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 13–14 | 0–2 | Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |
3 | August 29 | at San Diego Chargers | W 16–15 | 1–2 | Qualcomm Stadium | Recap |
4 | September 3 | Oakland Raiders | W 31–21 | 2–2 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
Divisional matchups: the NFC West played the NFC North and the AFC North.
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
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Wild Card | January 10, 2016 | at Minnesota Vikings (3) | W 10–9 | 1–0 | TCF Bank Stadium [19] | Recap |
Divisional | January 17, 2016 | at Carolina Panthers (1) | L 24–31 | 1–1 | Bank of America Stadium [20] | Recap |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
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Seahawks | 7 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 31 |
Rams | 0 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
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The Seahawks opened the season in St. Louis to take on the Rams. In the first quarter, rookie Tyler Lockett returned a punt for 57 yards for a touchdown to give the Seahawks the game's first points. Jimmy Graham made his Seahawks debut, catching a pass for 7 yards for a touchdown, as the Seahawks were now trailing the Rams, 24–21, in the 3rd quarter. However, without safety Kam Chancellor, Seattle's defense struggled all game. The loss of their defensive captain was too steep to overcome as they would go on to lose in overtime, 34–31, after Greg Zuerlein hit a 37-yard field goal with 12:06 remaining.
With the loss, the Seahawks dropped to 0–1.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Seahawks | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
Packers | 10 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 27 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
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After a tough opening loss to the St. Louis Rams, the Seahawks traveled to Green Bay to take on the Packers. The Packers struck first blood, scoring the game's first 10 points. Then, the Seahawks and Packers traded field goals, and the Packers led 13–3 at halftime. The Seahawks scored two unanswered touchdowns to take a 17–13 lead in the third quarter. However, the Packers proceeded to score the final 14 points of the game and won, 27–17, sending the Seahawks to their second consecutive loss of the young season.
With the loss, the Seahawks dropped to 0–2. It was the first double digit loss for the Seahawks in the Wilson era and tied their largest loss since Week 9 of the 2011 season, when they lost by 10 points to the Dallas Cowboys.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Seahawks | 3 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 26 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
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After playing (and losing) their first two games of the season on the road, the Seahawks went home to face the winless Chicago Bears, hoping to avoid an 0–3 start. The game saw the return of Kam Chancellor after his holdout. Marshawn Lynch, for the most part, was not a factor, and he finished with just five carries. He left the game with a pulled hamstring. The Seahawks got a boost from their special teams. Tyler Lockett returned the second half kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown to give Seattle a 13–0 lead. Also, Richard Sherman was used as a punt returner and returned it for 67 yards. In the end, the Seahawks dominated the Bears, 26–0, thereby avoiding an 0–3 start.
With the win, the Seahawks earned their first win of the season and improved to 1–2.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Lions | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
Seahawks | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
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After easily defeating the Bears, the Seahawks remained at home to face the winless Detroit Lions. The Seahawks led 13–3 heading into the 4th quarter. Wilson was sacked and fumbled, and the Lions defense ran it back for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 13–10. After the Seahawks' offense had a 3 and out, the Lions had the ball at their 10-yard line. They reached the red zone a few minutes later. On 3rd and 1, Stafford completed a pass to Calvin Johnson, who reached the Seahawks' 1 yard line and attempted to reach out and score the go ahead touchdown. As Johnson was brought down, Kam Chancellor stripped the ball from him. K.J. Wright then knocked the ball out of the back of the end zone. The referees ruled it a touchback, giving the Seahawks the ball back on their 20-yard line. The Seahawks ran two plays, forcing the Lions to burn their timeouts. On 3rd and 2, Wilson completed a pass to Kearse, gaining the first down. With no timeouts remaining, the Seahawks kneeled, ran out the clock, and ended the game, winning 13–10. As a result, the Lions dropped to 0–4. Wright's bat play caused controversy afterwards. Minutes after the game ended, the NFL VP of officiating ruled that Wright illegally batted the ball out of the back of endzone. Had the call been made, a penalty would have been assessed that gave the Lions a 1st down at the spot of the fumble, plus half the distance to the goal (6–inch line). The officiating crew was heavily criticized by analysts, fans, and players following the missed call. Several comparisons were immediately made to the Seahawks' controversial victory over the Green Bay Packers in Week 3 of the 2012 season, which also happened on Monday Night Football. In the postgame press conference, Carroll admitted that Wright intentionally batted the ball out of the back of the endzone, and Wright confirmed it. Chancellor said that he did not see the controversial play.
The Seahawks improved to 2–2.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
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Seahawks | 7 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
Bengals | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 27 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
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After defeating the Bears and Lions (both winless teams) at home to get to .500, the Seahawks traveled to Cincinnati to take on the 4–0 Bengals. In the 3rd quarter, a 23-yard fumble returned for a touchdown by Bobby Wagner allowed the Seahawks to take a commanding 24–7 lead. The Seahawks, however, allowed the Bengals to score the final 20 points of the game, capped by Bengals kicker Mike Nugent kicking the game-winning field goal in overtime. It's the first time since 2004 that the Seahawks blew a 17–point lead. During that stretch, they were 71–0 when holding a 17–point lead.
With the loss, the Seahawks dropped to 2–3. Additionally, they dropped to 0–2 in overtime games (losing both by game–winning field goals).
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 27 |
Seahawks | 3 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
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After losing a heartbreaker in Cincinnati to the Bengals, the Seahawks returned home to face their second undefeated team in a row, the 4–0 Carolina Panthers. With 11:51 remaining in the 4th quarter, the Seahawks led the Panthers, 23–14. However, for the fourth time this season, the Seahawks failed to win while holding a 4th quarter lead. The Panthers went on to score the final 13 points of the game, winning 27–23. The Seahawks lost only their third home game since the team drafted Wilson (28–3 home record), having lost to the Cardinals in Week 16 of the 2013 season and the Cowboys in Week 6 of the 2014 season.
With the loss, the Seahawks dropped to 2–4.
Up to this point, they were in 3rd place in the NFC West (due to tiebreakers).
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Seahawks | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
49ers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
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After blowing four 4th quarter leads and only winning against two teams with losing records, the Seahawks traveled to Santa Clara to take on the 49ers. The Seahawks easily defeated their former arch-rivals, 20–3. Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch compiled 122 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown on 27 carries. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick struggled once again against the vaunted Legion of Boom, going 13-24 with 124 passing yards, 0 passing touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was efficient again, completing 18 passes out of 24 attempts for 235 passing yards with 1 passing touchdown and 2 interceptions.
With the win, the Seahawks improved to 3–4. Additionally, Wilson improved to 6–2 against the 49ers (including postseason), extending his winning streak against them to four games.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Seahawks | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
Cowboys | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
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After dominating the 49ers in California, the Seahawks traveled to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. Seattle's only touchdown was a 22-yard pass from Russell Wilson to Luke Willson to give Seattle a 10–3 lead. Late in the second quarter, Ricardo Lockette left the game with an apparent injury after taking a brutal hit by Jeff Heath. Steven Hauschka hit the game-winning field goal for the 13–12 Seahawks' victory.
A day later, the Seahawks announced that Ricardo Lockette underwent season-ending neck surgery and miss the rest of the season. This injury proved to be career-ending.
With the win, the Seahawks improved to 4–4.
At this point, all of their wins have come against teams with losing records.
No game. Seattle had a bye week.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Cardinals | 0 | 22 | 3 | 14 | 39 |
Seahawks | 0 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 32 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
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After the bye week, the Seahawks hosted the Arizona Cardinals in their second Sunday Night Football game of the season.
Late in the first quarter, Earl Thomas intercepted Carson Palmer in the end zone as Palmer attempted to give Arizona the game's first points. This was Thomas' third interception of the season.
Early in the second quarter, Russell Wilson recovered a fumble to give the Cardinals a safety after the ball bounced to the back of the end zone and Wilson being able to recover it after a bad snap. Trailing 19–0 late in the second quarter, the Seahawks turned to fullback Will Tukuafu to give Seattle the first touchdown of the game. This was Tukuafu's first NFL touchdown.
The Seahawks defense struggled to stop the Cardinals offense all game, especially the running game in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks defense allowed 39 total points. It was the most points they allowed in a game since November 28, 2010 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
This was the first time that the Seahawks lost two home games in a season in the Wilson era. Over the previous three seasons, the Seahawks had not lost more than one home game in each season.
With the loss, the Seahawks dropped to 4–5. This marked the fifth time this season that the Seahawks could not hold on to a 4th quarter lead.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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49ers | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
Seahawks | 13 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 29 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
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After blowing yet another 4th quarter lead, the Seahawks hosted the San Francisco 49ers. Blaine Gabbert was now the 49ers' starting quarterback, replacing Colin Kaepernick, who was placed on IR. Although Marshawn Lynch did not play, the Seahawks relied on Thomas Rawls. He finished the game with 255 total yards. All four of the Seahawks' touchdowns were scored by rookies as Tyler Lockett and Thomas Rawls both put up a pair of touchdowns in the win. Again, Russell Wilson was efficient, going 24–29 with 260 passing yards and 3 passing touchdowns.
With the win, the Seahawks improved to 5–5. Additionally, Wilson improved to 7–2 against the 49ers (including postseason), extending his winning streak against them to five games.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Steelers | 3 | 15 | 3 | 9 | 30 |
Seahawks | 0 | 14 | 6 | 19 | 39 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
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After handling the 49ers at home, the Seahawks hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time since the 2003 season. Richard Sherman, who has not intercepted a pass in the first 12 games of the season, recorded his first in the third quarter. The game was a shootout as Russell Wilson, playing on his 27th birthday, passed for 345 yards and threw five touchdown passes (three of them to wide receiver Doug Baldwin). Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger passed for 456 yards against the Seahawks' defense, which were the most passing yards the Seahawks have ever allowed to an opposing quarterback until Matt Schaub's 460 yards passing surpassed it in 2019.
With the win, the Seahawks improved to 6–5 and earned their first win of the season against a team with a winning record.
The victory was bittersweet, however, as Jimmy Graham suffered an apparent leg injury in the third quarter. It was later revealed that Graham tore the patellar tendon in his knee. The Seahawks announced afterwards that Graham would undergo surgery and miss the rest of the season.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Seahawks | 7 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 38 |
Vikings | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Coming off huge home wins against the 49ers and Steelers, the Seahawks traveled to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Vikings. Despite being without both Marshawn Lynch and Jimmy Graham, the Seahawks dominated the Vikings 38–7. Going into the game, the Vikings were previously 8–3 and leading the NFC North, led the NFL in team rushing yards, and Adrian Peterson was the NFL's leading rusher. The Seahawks defense held Peterson to only 18 yards and the Vikings' offense failed to score (their only points coming on a special-teams kickoff return), while Russell Wilson and the Seattle offense racked up 433 yards, five total touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Seahawks | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
Ravens | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
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After easily handling the Vikings in Minneapolis, the Seahawks traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. Russell Wilson's streak of games with greater than a 135 passer rating continued as he again tied the franchise mark of five touchdown passes to go with zero interceptions. Doug Baldwin's success over the same span also continued as he hauled in three passes for touchdowns. Early in the game, running back Thomas Rawls and safety Kam Chancellor left the game with injuries. With Rawls now out for the year with a broken left ankle, the Seahawks turned to DuJuan Harris. Harris was limited to just 42 rushing yards on 18 carries.
With the win, the Seahawks improved to 8–5. Furthermore, the Seahawks' all–time franchise regular season win–loss record improved to 313–312–0. This marks the first time ever in team history that the Seahawks have had an overall winning regular season win–loss record (a win–loss record above .500).
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Browns | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
Seahawks | 7 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 30 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
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After a huge win against the Ravens in Baltimore, the Seahawks returned home to host the Cleveland Browns. Russell Wilson's streak continued: Over the last five games he threw for 19 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Doug Baldwin compiled 10 touchdowns over the last four games, which has only been achieved one other time (Jerry Rice in 1987). With the injury of Thomas Rawls the week prior Derrick Coleman got the start at running back but Christine Michael took the majority of the carries.
With the win, the Seahawks improved to 9–5 and clinched a playoff spot after winning five straight games. Furthermore, the Seahawks' all–time franchise regular season win–loss record improved to 314–312–0. This marks the first time ever in team history that the Seahawks have had an overall regular season win–loss record of at least two games above .500.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Rams | 10 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 23 |
Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
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After easily defeating the Cleveland Browns at home, the Seahawks remained at home to host the St. Louis Rams. Doug Baldwin's touchdown reception in the third quarter surpasses Daryl Turner's mark set in 1985 for the most receiving touchdowns by a Seahawk in a single season with 14.
With the loss, the Seahawks drop to 9–6, snapping a five-game winning streak. The Rams have swept the season series for the first time since 2004.
This marks the first time in 71 games (including postseason) the Seahawks have not held the lead at any point during the game. This is also the first such instance during the Wilson era. Prior to this game, the Seahawks have held the lead at least once during the game for an NFL-record 70 consecutive games (including postseason). Additionally, the Seahawks' 25-game streak of having 100 rushing yards as a team (another NFL record) came to an end.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Seahawks | 10 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 36 |
Cardinals | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
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In their final game of the regular season, the Seahawks routed the Arizona Cardinals 36–6, holding the Cardinals' then number one scoring offense to only six points, allowing the Seahawks to finish as the number one scoring defense for the fourth consecutive season, an NFL record. During the game, Russell Wilson set two franchise records passing: 4,024 yards in a season, topping Matt Hasselbeck's 3,966 yards set in 2007, and 34 touchdowns through the air, surpassing Dave Krieg's 32 touchdowns in 1984. Helping Wilson get the franchise record for passing touchdowns in a season was Doug Baldwin, as he was the co-leader for touchdown receptions in the 2015 season with 14 touchdowns.
Seattle entered the postseason as the #6 seed in the NFC.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Seahawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Vikings | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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The #6 seeded Seahawks traveled to Minnesota to face the #3 seeded Vikings in a game that was the third coldest in NFL history as the two teams squared off in subzero temperatures. The field goal filled contest came down to a Vikings 27-yard field goal with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter but the kick went wide-left giving the Seahawks the victory.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Seahawks | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 24 |
Panthers | 14 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
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The Seahawks traveled to Charlotte to face the #1 seeded Carolina Panthers. The Panthers scored early and often in the first half, going into halftime with a 31–0 lead. The Seahawks fought back aggressively in the second half, cutting the lead to only one possession and holding the Panthers from scoring in the second half, but fell short of a victory after the Panthers successfully recovered an onside kick and kneeled out the clock, with a final score of 31–24.
It was Marshawn Lynch's final game as he announced his retirement on February 7, 2016. He was held to just 20 rushing yards. However, Lynch would return to the NFL in April 2017 as a member of the Oakland Raiders before returning to the Seahawks in December 2019.
NFC West | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(2) Arizona Cardinals | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 4–2 | 10–2 | 489 | 313 | L1 |
(6) Seattle Seahawks | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 423 | 277 | W1 |
St. Louis Rams | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 280 | 330 | L1 |
San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 238 | 387 | W1 |
# | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
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Division Leaders | |||||||||||
1 | Carolina Panthers | South | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 5–1 | 11–1 | .441 | .438 | W1 |
2 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 4–2 | 10–2 | .477 | .457 | L1 |
3 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .504 | .449 | W3 |
4 | Washington Redskins | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .465 | .403 | W4 |
Wild Cards | |||||||||||
5 [lower-alpha 1] | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .531 | .450 | L2 |
6 [lower-alpha 1] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .520 | .431 | W1 |
Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
7 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .480 | .453 | L1 |
8 [lower-alpha 2] | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .527 | .482 | L1 |
9 [lower-alpha 2] | Detroit Lions | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .535 | .429 | W3 |
10 [lower-alpha 2] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .508 | .473 | W1 |
11 [lower-alpha 2] | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .504 | .402 | W2 |
12 [lower-alpha 3] | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .500 | .396 | L3 |
13 [lower-alpha 3] | Chicago Bears | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .547 | .469 | L1 |
14 [lower-alpha 3] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .484 | .406 | L4 |
15 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .539 | .463 | W1 |
16 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 3–3 | 3–9 | .531 | .438 | L4 |
Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 4] | |||||||||||
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The 2010 season was the Seattle Seahawks' 35th in the National Football League (NFL), their ninth playing their home games at Qwest Field and their first under head coach Pete Carroll after Jim Mora was fired on January 8, 2010. The team exceeded their win total from 2009 and won the NFC West with a 7–9 record. They became the first team in a full season to finish with a sub-.500 record and make the playoffs, a berth which was by virtue of winning the division. The 2010 Seahawks also became the first sub-.500 team to win a playoff game with their home win against the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints remembered as the Beast Quake game, but then had their season ended by the second-seeded Chicago Bears in the divisional round.
The 2012 season was the Seattle Seahawks' 37th in the National Football League (NFL) and their third under head coach Pete Carroll. The Seahawks had a three-way quarterback competition with Tarvaris Jackson, Matt Flynn and rookie Russell Wilson. Jackson was traded to the Bills, and Wilson won the job.
The 2012 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 83rd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 79th as the Detroit Lions and the fourth under head coach Jim Schwartz. The Lions failed to improve from their 10–6 record in 2011, during which they made it to the postseason as a wild card team. The Lions spent most of the season at the bottom of their division, and ended the season with an eight-game losing streak, their worst skid since the winless 2008 season. It was also the franchise's 21st consecutive season without a playoff win.
The 2013 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 64th in the National Football League (NFL), 68th overall and third under the head coach/general manager tandem of Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke. This marked the first season since 2004 that quarterback Alex Smith was not on the roster as he joined the Kansas City Chiefs. This was the 49ers' final season playing their home games at Candlestick Park before moving into Levi's Stadium for the 2014 season.
The 2013 season was the Seattle Seahawks' 38th in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth under head coach Pete Carroll. With the Seahawks tenth win in the eleventh week of the season, the team secured double-digit victories in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. Their 13–3 regular season record is tied with the 2005 season for the best in franchise history. Seattle's defense in 2013 is regarded by many to be one of the best in NFL history.
The 2014 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 65th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 69th overall and the fourth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke. It also marked the 49ers' inaugural season playing their home games at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The 2014 season was the Seattle Seahawks' 39th in the National Football League (NFL) and their fifth under head coach Pete Carroll. The Seahawks started the season as the defending Super Bowl champions for the first time in franchise history.
The 2015 Green Bay Packers season was the franchise's 97th season overall, 95th in the National Football League, and the tenth under head coach Mike McCarthy. With a Week 15 win over the Oakland Raiders, the Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff spot for the seventh consecutive season, but they failed to win their fifth consecutive NFC North title after a Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, the fifth-seeded Packers traveled to Washington to face the fourth-seeded Redskins in the wild-card round. They beat the Redskins 35–18, and then traveled to Arizona for a rematch against the second-seeded Arizona Cardinals, where the Packers' season ended as they lost to the Cardinals in overtime, 26–20. One highlight of the Packers' season was a stunning come-from-behind victory over their division rivals Detroit Lions, which resulted in a 61-yard game-winning Hail Mary pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to tight end Richard Rodgers II as time expired.
The 2015 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 96th in the National Football League (NFL), their 117th overall, their 28th in Arizona, their 10th playing home games at University of Phoenix Stadium and their third under head coach Bruce Arians. The Cardinals clinched their first NFC West title since 2009, in addition to the first 13-win season in franchise history. They also clinched a first round bye for the first time in franchise history.
The 2015 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 66th in the National Football League (NFL), the 70th overall, second playing their home games at Levi's Stadium, and the only season under head coach Jim Tomsula. They were attempting to make history as the first Super Bowl host team to play the Super Bowl on their own home field, but they failed to improve on their 8–8 record from 2014, and ended with a 5–11 record to miss the playoffs for the second season in a row and finish with a losing record for the first time since 2010. They also finished last in the NFC West for the first time in a decade, and marked the 31st consecutive year in which the Super Bowl did not include the team in whose region the game was being played – a feat that never has been achieved since themselves in 1984.
The 2015 season was the St. Louis Rams' 78th in the National Football League (NFL), their fourth under head coach Jeff Fisher, and their 21st and final season in St. Louis, Missouri, their home since the 1995 season.
The 2016 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League (NFL) and the second under head coach Dan Quinn. It also marked the team's 25th and final season playing their home games at the Georgia Dome, as the Falcons moved into the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017. The Falcons won the NFC South for the first time since 2012 and improved on their 8–8 record from 2015, going 11–5 and earning the second seed in the NFC playoffs. Quarterback Matt Ryan was named the 2016 NFL MVP. The Falcons scored 540 points, the most in the NFL for 2016 and 8th all-time. The team scored fewer than 23 points only once all season: a 24–15 loss to the Eagles.
The 2016 season was the Seattle Seahawks' 41st in the National Football League (NFL) and their seventh under head coach Pete Carroll. On October 23, the team played the Arizona Cardinals in a game that ended in a 6–6 tie, the Seahawks' first tie in franchise history. With their win against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15, the Seahawks claimed their third NFC West title in the last four years. The Seahawks defeated the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round, but lost 20-36 to the eventual NFC champion Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round.
The 2017 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 68th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 72nd overall. It was also the first season under the head coach/general manager tandem of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. After a 0–9 start, they won 6 of their last 7 games and finished the season 6–10, improving from their last two season records. Despite this, the 49ers were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 12.
The 2017 season was the Los Angeles Rams' 80th in the National Football League (NFL), their 81st overall, their 51st in the Greater Los Angeles Area and their first under head coach Sean McVay. The Rams improved on their 4–12 record from the previous season. With a win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Rams ended a decade-long drought and clinched their first winning season since 2003 and first playoff appearance since 2004, when the club was based in St. Louis. The team played a game in London, England at Twickenham Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7 as one of the NFL London Games.
The 2017 New York Giants season was the franchise's 93rd season in the National Football League (NFL), the 8th at MetLife Stadium and the second and final under head coach Ben McAdoo. Coming fresh off an 11–5 season, the Giants hoped to win a Super Bowl and were expected to be playoff contenders by many critics. However, things rapidly fell apart after key injuries, drama, and controversial decisions plagued the team. An 0–5 start to the season, coupled with major injuries to the team, including star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., had the Giants suffer a franchise-worst 3–13 record. By Week 10, after losing to the previously winless San Francisco 49ers, the Giants were standing at 1–8, their worst record since 1980. The Giants were eliminated from playoff contention on November 26 with wins by the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Seattle Seahawks, three days after their own loss to the Washington Redskins.
The 2018 season was the Seattle Seahawks' 43rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their ninth under head coach Pete Carroll. The Seahawks improved on their 9–7 record from the 2017 season, finishing 10–6, the sixth time in seven years that they recorded at least ten wins in a season. They also played in London for the first time in franchise history, defeating the Oakland Raiders 27–3 in Week 6. With a win over the Kansas City Chiefs and eventual league MVP Patrick Mahomes in Week 16, the Seahawks returned to the playoffs; their seventh appearance in the nine seasons under Carroll. However, the Seahawks suffered their first one-and-done postseason campaign since 2004, as they fell to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round 24–22.
The 2019 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 70th in the National Football League (NFL), their 74th overall and their third under the head coach-general manager tandem of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. They finished their 2019 season with a 13–3 record, their best finish since 2011. Starting the season 8–0 for the first time since 1990, the 49ers surpassed their win totals from the 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons combined. The 49ers were the second straight NFC West team to start 8–0, with the other being the 2018 Rams. With a Week 11 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers clinched their first winning season since 2013. Despite a loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15, the 49ers clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013 with a Los Angeles Rams loss. The 49ers beat the Cardinals for the first time since 2014, won in Seattle for the first time since 2011, and beat the Panthers in the regular season for the first time since 2001.
The 2019 season was the Seattle Seahawks' 44th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 10th under head coach Pete Carroll. It marked their first full season since 1996 without longtime owner Paul Allen, who had died during the 2018 season.
The 2020 season was the Seattle Seahawks' 45th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 11th season under head coach Pete Carroll. With a win over the Washington Football Team in Week 15, the Seahawks made the playoffs for the third consecutive year. With a Week 17 win over the San Francisco 49ers, they improved upon their 11–5 record from the previous season. For the first time in franchise history, the Seahawks started 5–0. After a Week 16 win over the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks clinched the NFC West title for the first time since 2016.