The Seahawks have two major rivalries with the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos. The Seahawks and the 49ers are both in the NFC West, and their rivalry was ignited due to a coaching feud. The 49ers coach from 2011-2014, Jim Harbaugh, had a long history of coaching against the Seahawks leader, Pete Carroll, since their college coaching days. Between 2011 and 2014, either the Seahawks or the 49ers clinched the NFC West division championship. It has been a constant battle. The Seahawks struggled in the beginning and lost most of their games against San Francisco, but they’ve made a comeback and now lead the series 20-15 since rejoining the NFC West. The Seahawks’ fans also broke the Guinness World Record for crowd noise during a game against the 49ers. The Seahawks have come out on top numerous times in key games against the 49ers, which would make any team a rival. This includes the NFC Championship game in 2013, which led to the Seahawks advancing to the Super Bowl to win against the Denver Broncos.
It isn’t really a wonder why the Denver Broncos would have a problem with the Seahawks. They met in Super Bowl XLVIII in February of 2014, and the Seahawks obliterated the Broncos 43-8. Before this meeting, though, their interaction was very much the other way around. When the Seahawks were in the AFC, they played the Broncos much more frequently, whereas now they do not meet as often. From the 1980 to 2002, Denver led the battle 32-18. Since 2002, the Seahawks have only won one of three interconference meetings against them. Therefore, it isn’t a wonder why the Seahawks would have a grudge against the Broncos either.
By: Erin Irish