SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Seahawks knew they would have to play a basically blemish-free game to beat the 49ers in a wild-card playoff game Saturday.
And for almost three quarters, the Seahawks did.
Their offense had the top-ranked defense in the NFL on its heels, and the defense was doing just enough to keep Seattle in it, largely by holding the 49ers to field goals instead of touchdowns on three long drives.