The Seattle Seahawks beat the St. Louis Rams, 27-9, and clinched home-field advantage for the playoffs. They finish the regular season 13-3, tying a franchise record for most wins in a season.
Rams vs. Seahawks 2013 final score: Seattle clinches home-field advantage with 27-9 win
The Seahawks blew away the Rams, wrapping up the No. 1 seed and tying the franchise record for most wins in a season.
The Seahawks defense got things off to a fast start with a 37-yard pick-six by Malcolm Smith. Seattle's offense continued to stagnate, failing to convert a third down in the first quarter and managing just 19 total yards -- 14 of those came on one run by Marshawn Lynch.
Seattle started to wake up in the second quarter, driving down to the goal line, but the team had to settle for a 28-yard field goal from Steven Hauschka. Kellen Clemens committed another turnover, throwing an ugly interception to Byron Maxwell. It was the Seahawks' 11th pick in the past three games. With less than two minutes left in the second quarter, the Seahawks drove back down to the 6-yard line. A potential touchdown by Golden Tate was negated by a holding call on Russell Okung, and Seattle got another field goal and went into halftime leading, 13-0. The defense had dominated, holding the Rams to 54 total yards in the first half.
Things were chippy for most of the game between these two divisional rivals, and things came to a head in the third quarter. The Rams drew two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on one play and defensive tackle Kendall Langford got ejected for making contact with an official. Lynch pounded it in from 2 yards out to give Seattle a 20-3 lead. Golden Tate iced the game with a 47-yard touchdown catch, and the road to the Super Bowl will go through the Pacific Northwest.
Fantasy studs and duds
Golden Tate roasted Janoris Jenkins, piling up 129 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. On the other side, Zac Stacy was swallowed up by Seattle's defense, finishing with 15 carries for just 15 yards.
Injury report
Bobby Wagner left the game with an apparent injury, but later came back in. Wide receiver Justin Veltung was evaluated for concussion symptoms after being blown up on a punt return.
Brandon Mebane left with a hip issue and did not return. Luke Willson was carted off the field with a cast on his leg.
Did they cover?
The Seahawks were 12.5-point favorites, according to OddsShark, so they covered the spread.
What’s next?
Seattle awaits the lowest-seeded winner of the Wild Card round. St. Louis finishes 7-9 and now looks toward the draft.
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