For all their flaws, the Seattle Seahawks are back where they always expected to be: in the post-season and as champions of the NFC West.
Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes, Tyler Lockett had 130 yards receiving and a score, and the Seahawks won the NFC West with a 24-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night (Friday AEDT).
"I think it's a huge significance in terms of consistency," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.
"It's something that we really do take great pride in because of the implications for the play-offs."
Seattle claimed its third division title in four seasons, assuring itself of at least one home game in the play-offs and keeping the pressure on Detroit in the competition for the No.2 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye.
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Seattle also snapped a three-game losing streak to the Rams.
Seattle became the first team in the NFL to clinch its division, the result of playing in the NFC West in a season where no one was particularly good.
The Seahawks have their shortcomings, which were shown again against the Rams, but Seattle simply have more tools than anyone else in the division to overcome their flaws.
But it wasn't a completely smooth evening for the Seahawks: Richard Sherman was seen yelling towards coaches in the third quarter moments before Doug Baldwin's one-yard touchdown catch.
Sherman said he was expressing his displeasure toward Carroll over the decision to throw on first-and-goal from the one-yard line, a pass by Wilson that was nearly intercepted.
"We've already seen how that goes. I'm sure you guys have seen that play enough times," Sherman said.
It wasn't an impressive display by Seattle (9-4-1), but was far better than on Sunday, when the Seahawks were blown out by Green Bay with Wilson throwing five interceptions.
Wilson was good enough against the listless Rams.
After slogging through the first half, he threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin late in the third quarter for a 17-3 lead, then put the game away on a 57-yard touchdown strike to Lockett on the second play of the fourth quarter.
Wilson finished 19 of 26 for 229 yards.
The next NFL clash is on Sunday when the Miami Dolphins clash with the New York Jets in at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
