SEATTLE — For the first time since 2019, the San Francisco 49ers are NFC West division champions.
And though Lumen Field has been something of a house of horrors for them for the past decade-plus, it also has been the site of their two most recent hat-and-T-shirt celebrations.
This time, the Niners wrapped up the NFC West on Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks with a resounding 21-13 victory. When they claimed the division crown in 2019, that clinch also happened in Seattle.
With Thursday’s win, the Niners improved to 10-4 on the season and claimed their seventh straight victory, their longest winning streak since an eight-game tear in 2019. It is the earliest the 49ers have wrapped up the division since 2011 and ensures they can finish no lower than the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs.
It is also the first time San Francisco has swept the Seahawks in a season since 2011.
Without the services of wide receiver Deebo Samuel (left knee, ankle), and with quarterback Brock Purdy playing through a rib and oblique injury, the Niners turned to star running back Christian McCaffrey to do most of the heavy lifting on the way to Thursday’s clinch.
McCaffrey had 19 touches for 87 yards and a touchdown in the first half, the second-most touches he has had in an opening half in his career. He finished with 32 touches for 138 scrimmage yards, his fifth game with 100-plus scrimmage yards, making him the second midseason acquisition to hit that number, joining Eric Dickerson, who had six such games in 1987 for the Indianapolis Colts, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Purdy, who was listed as questionable this week and was limited in three practices, finished 17-of-26 for 217 yards with a pair of touchdown passes to tight end George Kittle for a passer rating of 117.0.