Week 17 was a wild week for the NFL. The playoff picture wasn’t cleared up until the final snap on Sunday night. The NFC West had much to gain and lose as all four teams battled amongst each other. The St. Louis Rams entered their matchup with the Seattle Seahawks seeking their first .500 record since 2006. The Seahawks were fighting for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Rams lost their composure in a poorly officiated game, and the Seahawks took full advantage of the situation in a 27-9 win at home.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals had one of the best records in the league, but they needed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to beat the New Orleans Saints in a David vs. Goliath battle. That didn’t happen as the Saints blew out Tampa Bay. In the end, it didn’t matter as the Cardinals lost a 23-20 thriller at home to the San Francisco 49ers.
Team Notes:
St. Louis Rams: Kellen Clemons struggled against the Seahawks; he passed for 157 yards, one touchdown and threw two interceptions. One of those interceptions was returned 37 yards for a touchdown by Malcom Smith. Zac Stacy was limited to 15 yards on 15 rushing attempts. All eyes were on Robert Quinn, who earned a sack and pressured Seattle’s Russell Wilson throughout the game. Ernie Sims, Chris Long and Kendall Langford had one sack each. James Laurinitis recorded 10 tackles.
Seattle Seahawks: Wilson threw for 172 yards and had one touchdown pass. Golden Tate led the Seahawks in receiving with 129 yards and a touchdown. Marshawn Lynch bulldozed through the Ram’s defensive front for 97 rushing yards and one score. Bobby Wagner recorded 12 tackles to lead the defense.
Arizona Cardinals: Carson Palmer earned some frequent flyer miles as he aired the ball out 49 times against the 49ers. He threw for 407 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and Rob Housler combined for 282 receiving yards; Andre Roberts added 74 receiving yards and one touchdown grab. Yeremiah Bell led the team in tackles with eight. Calais Campbell had five tackles and one sack.
San Francisco 49ers: Colin Kaepernick recovered from a slow start to pass for 310 yards and two touchdowns. Anquan Boldin caught nine passes for 149 yards and a touchdown as Kaepernick’s top target. Vernon Davis contributed three catches of his own for 45 yards and one touchdown. NaVorro Bowman had a dominant performance against the Cardinals’ offense creating two key turnovers: one fumble recovery and an interception. He also had 10 tackles and one sack; Eric Reid had 10 tackles.
Standings (Week 17 Opponent)
Seattle Seahawks 13-3 (vs. Rams)
San Francisco 49ers 12-4 (vs. Cardinals)
Arizona Cardinals 10-6 (vs. 49ers)
St. Louis Rams 7-9 (vs. Seahawks)
SOURCE: ESPN Box Score
IMAGE: Mark J. Rebilas
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