Seahawks should clinch NFC West

Facts: San Francisco rushed for 262 yards a month ago in their 20-14 home victory against Seattle, with RB Frank Gore getting a career-high 212. It was the most ground yards the Seahawks have yielded to a team since Denver got 301 in 2000. ... In the Seahawks’ past three victories, against St. Louis, Green Bay and Denver, they trailed entering the fourth quarter. ... Seattle will be without leading receiver Darrell Jackson (toe), who had led the team in receptions in nine of its past 12 games. But in that 49ers game, it was Deion Branch leading the way with his only 100-yard game (113) as a Seahawk. ... San Francisco QB Alex Smith had the second-best day of his two-year pro career in that victory over Seattle (based on passer rating), but still had only 163 yards and a TD. In the three games since, all against teams with passer defenses rated in the bottom 12, he’s dropped from 15th to 23rd on the charts. Seattle’s passing defense is 10th worst. ... Seattle clinches the NFC West with a victory, but is waging a losing battle to earn a first-round playoff bye. The Seahawks trail the Saints by a game for the No. 2 seed, but New Orleans holds the tiebreaker (conference record). ... Last year in Week 15 in Seattle, the Seahawks beat the 49ers 41-3 as a 16-point favorite four weeks after a close-call 27-25 victory in San Francisco as a 12.5-point pick. ... Seattle’s most-lopsided victory this year has been 16 points. Last year, en route to the NFC title, they had five by 20 or more.

Analysis: Not only did the 49ers receive top-of-the-line performances from their QB and running back against Seattle, but benefited from a plus-4 turnover differential _ and yet they still almost squandered a 20-0 halftime lead against a Seahawks team led by its backup QB, Seneca Wallace. San Francisco’s turnover differential since that game is at minus 8, including their "flat" home performance against Green Bay last week. Also, this will be Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck’s fourth game back from a knee injury, and after two pedestrian games against Green Bay and Denver, he threw for three TDs in last week’s narrow loss at Arizona.

Forecast: Seahawks 31, 49ers 13