Hawks are top seed after beating the 49ers on Saturday. Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Seattle'sbigwin over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday gave the Hawks' their first NFC West title since 2020 and clinched the conference's top seed.
Why it matters: Seattle's 14-3 regular season record — the best in franchise history — means more than bragging rights.
No. 1 seed in the NFC ensures the team gets a first-round bye, eliminates an entire round of playoff risk, and guarantees the Hawks' upcoming playoff games will be played on their home turf in Seattle.
State of play: Seattle's home-field advantage may not be what it once was, but playing at Lumen Field still forces opponents to travel and play in weather the Hawks know all too well.
The intrigue: NFL betting markets now peg Seattle as the team most likely to win the Super Bowl, per NBC Sports.
What's next: Seattle will rest during wild-card weekend before hosting the lowest remaining seed in the divisional round over the Jan.17-18 weekend.
If the Hawks win, they will play the NFC Championship Game at home on Jan. 25.
Super Bowl LX is slated for Feb. 8, in Santa Clara, California.
