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NFC West Update: Arizona Cardinals On First-Round Playoff Bye; St. Louis Rams File For Relocation; San Francisco 49ers Relieve Head Coach Jim Tomsula

A closer look at how the Seahawks' NFC West rivals fared in Week 17 around the NFL.

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A closer look at how the Seahawks' NFC West rivals fared in Week 17 around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals (13-3)

The Result

The Cardinals dropped their regular-season finale against the playoff-bound Seahawks, falling 36-6 at Glendale's University of Phoenix Stadium to finish with the No. 2 seed in the NFC postseason picture.

What Happened

Carson Palmer was pulled at halftime with his team trailing 30-6, but the Arizona quarterback finished 12-of-25 for 129 yards, one touchdown, and one interception ... Drew Stanton was picked off by free safety Earl Thomas on his first series of the second half and again in the fourth quarter by cornerback DeShawn Shead, finishing the game 8-of-18 for 84 yards and the two interceptions ... The Cardinals rushed for just 27 yards, 25 from rookie David Johnson, who averaged 2.3 yards per carry ... Wideout Larry Fitzgerald hauled in Palmer's only touchdown, finishing with six grabs for 55 yards, both of which were team highs.

What's Next

As the No. 2 seed, the NFC West champion Cardinals await the highest-seeded winner to emerge from the wild-card round. That means Arizona could play host to the NFC North champion and No. 3-seeded Minnesota Vikings, who face the No. 6-seeded Seahawks this Sunday. Arizona could also wind up playing the NFC East champion and No. 4-seeded Washington Redskins or the No. 5-seeded Green Bay Packers, who matchup with one another after Sunday's Seahawks game.


St. Louis Rams (7-9)

The Result

The Rams had their three-game winning streak snapped, dropping a 19-16 overtime game against the NFC West rival 49ers, a defeat that solidified a fourth straight losing season under head coach Jeff Fisher.

What Happened

Defensive end Eugene Sims returned an interception 42 yards to help set up St. Louis' only touchdown of the day on a 4-yard run from running back Tre Mason, who finished with 18 carries for 44 yards ... Quarterback Case Keenum completed 22 of his 37 passes for 231 yards ... Wideout Kenny Britt led all St. Louis pass catchers with three grabs for 81 yards.

What's Next

Earlier this week, the Rams were one of three teams - along with the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers - to file for relocation to the Los Angeles area effective for the 2016 League year. St. Louis owns the No. 15 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.


San Francisco 49ers (5-11)

The Result

The 49ers topped the division rival Rams, 19-16, in overtime at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium.

What Happened

Phil Dawson's fourth field goal of the day came from 23 yards out in overtime and proved to be the game-winner, as San Francisco avoided finishing with its worst record since going 4-12 in 2005 ... Quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw for 354 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, with the scoring strike going to wideout Anquan Boldin, who finished with five catches for 71 yards ... Former Seattle running back DuJuan Harris ran 16 times for 67 yards and made eight grabs for 86 yards, both team highs.

What's Next

The Niners relieved first-year head coach Jim Tomsula of his duties after Sunday's win over the Rams. San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke is now tasked with finding the "right guy for the job," a search that Baalke said includes no in-house candidates. The 49ers hold the No. 7 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.


The Seahawks were all in for the final regular season matchup against NFC leaders, the Arizona Cardinals and team photographer Rod Mar captured the exclusive moments of the team's dominating performance. 

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