Final, Seahawks 23-17: Seattle advances to Super Bowl XLVIII. The Seahawks will play Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos on Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium.
0:22, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 23-17: Kaepernick’s pass in the end zone intended for Crabtree is intercepted by Malcolm Smith after the ball was tipped into the air by Richard Sherman. Seattle takes over on its own 20-yard line.
0:38, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 23-17: Vernon Davis catches an 11-yard pass to the 18-yard line.
0:59, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 23-17: Kaepernick passes to Crabtree for a 16-yard gain to the 29-yard line. The ball barely got over Earl Thomas’ arms before Crabtree made the catch on the left sideline.
2:00, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 23-17: The 49ers convert on fourth-and-2 on a pass to Frank Gore for 17 yards. We are now at the two-minute warning. It’s first-and-10 from the 49ers’ 48-yard line.
3:37, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 23-17: Steven Hauschka kicks a 40-yard field goal, and Seattle widens its lead to 23-17. Hauschka has kicked three field goals today.
4:40, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 20-17: The Seahawks faced a third-and-15 at the 49ers’ 33-yard line and didn’t convert.
6:05, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 20-17: Russell Wilson passes to Golden Tate on third down to pick up a new set of downs. It’s first-and-10 from the 28-yard line.
7:37, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 20-17: Colin Kaepernick’s pass to the left, intended for Anquan Boldin, is intercepted by Cam Chancellor at the 49ers’ 41-yard line. It’s Kaepernick’s fifth interception against the Seahawks this season.
8:18, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 20-17: Seattle went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, and Marshawn Lynch fumbled. The ball rolled out to the 15-yard line and was recovered by Seattle, but the 49ers will take over on downs. Lynch never got the handoff from Russell Wilson cleanly.
8:45, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 20-17: Jermaine Kearse catches a pass and is down at the 1-yard line. He fumbled the ball, and even though 49ers linebacker Navarro Bowman came out of the pile with it, Seattle keeps the ball. The play is not reviewable. It’s fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Bowman was carted off the field with an injury.
10:15, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 20-17: Kaepernick rolled to his left on third-and-6, and Cliff Avril forced a fumble from behind. It was recovered by Michael Bennett and returned to the 49ers’ 6-yard line. First and goal for the Seahawks.
12:10, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 20-17: The 49ers pick up a first down on third-and-5 as Kaepernick rolls to his left and finds Anquan Boldin for a 15-yard gain to the Seahawks’ 25-yard line.
13:44, Fourth Quarter, Seahawks 20-17: An intentional grounding penalty sent the Seahawks back to midfield, and then they picked up 17 yards on a pass to tight end Zach Miller.
Instead of a 52-yard field goal attempt, Seattle went for it on fourth down, and Russell Wilson completed a 35-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse.
0:35, Third Quarter, 49ers 17-13: Russell Wilson throws to Doug Baldwin for a first down at the 49ers’ 38-yard line. Marshawn Lynch also has increased his rush yards to 103, becoming the first player to run for 100-plus yards against San Francisco this season.
3:55, Third Quarter, 49ers 17-13: Seattle safety Cam Chancellor delivers a huge hit on 49ers tight end Vernon Davis to bring up third down. San Francisco doesn’t convert and punts. Seattle is flagged for running into the kicker, but the penalty is declined, and the Seahawks will take over in their own territory.
3:55, Third Quarter, 49ers 17-13: Seattle kicks off, and a touchback is ruled.
3:55, Third Quarter, 49ers 17-13: Russell Wilson escapes the pocket and throws the ball away, which brings up fourth-and-8.
Steven Hauschka converts a 40-yard field goal to make the score 17-13.
6:20, Third Quarter, 49ers 17-10: Doug Baldwin returns the kickoff 69 yards to the 49ers’ 37-yard line.
6:29, Third Quarter, 49ers 17-10: Kaepernick passes to wide receiver Anquan Boldin for a 26-yard touchdown. Seahawks cornerback Earl Thomas reached for the ball but couldn’t deflect it, and Boldin has another clutch touchdown catch to put on his remarkable postseason resume. It’s his eighth career touchdown catch in the playoffs.
7:24, Third Quarter, 10-10: Kaepernick completed a 22-yard pass to Crabtree, and then the 49ers quarterback picked up another 22 yards on a run. He fumbled on the next play, but the center recovered.
9:10, Third Quarter, 10-10: 49ers running back Kendall Hunter picks up 1 yard and a first down to the Seahawks’ 28-yard line.
9:51, Third Quarter, 10-10: Marshawn Lynch started the drive with two good runs, and he finished it with a 40-yard touchdown run to tie the score 10-10. The Seahawks’ offensive line opened up a huge hole to help Lynch get to the second level of the defense, and from that point, the Seattle running back outran three 49ers defensive backs to the end zone.
12:06, Third Quarter, 49ers 10-3: Kaepernick avoids two sack attempts, but his pass to the right, intended for Frank Gore, is incomplete. The 49ers punt to Golden Tate, who returns it to the Seahawks’ 39-yard line.
14:20, Third Quarter, 49ers 10-3: Kaepernick rolls to his left and finds wide receiver Michael Crabtree for a first down to the 33-yard line. Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell was shaken up on the play and jogged off the field.
15:00, Third Quarter, 49ers 10-3: Seattle kicks off, and a touchback is ruled.
Halftime, 49ers 10-3: San Francisco will receive the second-half kickoff and could make the score 17-3 with a touchdown. That would put a lot of pressure on a Seahawks passing game that has struggled throughout the postseason.
Halftime, 49ers 10-3: Here are the first half stats:
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End of Second Quarter, 49ers 10-3: The Seahawks go for it on fourth-and-6 from the 49ers’ 37-yard line, and the play ends with an incomplete pass. There was a 15-yard personal foul on San Francisco cornerback Carlos Rogers, but it occurred after the play, so the 49ers will keep possession.
Kaepernick takes a knee, and the first half has ended.
1:07, Second Quarter, 49ers 10-3: Aldon Smith sacks Russell Wilson for a 1-yard loss at the 40-yard line. It forces a third-and-8 for Seattle.
1:20, Second Quarter, 49ers 10-3: Doug Baldwin has returned to the game and catches a third-down pass across midfield to extend the Seahawks’ drive.
2:00, Second Quarter, 49ers 10-3: 49ers left guard Mike Iupati will not return to the game after suffering an ankle injury, per the team.
4:20, Second Quarter, 49ers 10-3: The 49ers punt, and the Seahawks will start what might be their final drive of the first half on their own 37-yard line.
5:42, Second Quarter, 49ers 10-3: 49ers left guard Mike Iupati injured his ankle on the Dixon touchdown run earlier in the quarter and is questionable to return. Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin hurt his hip on the previous drive and is questionable to return.
5:50, Second Quarter, 49ers 10-3: Seattle settles for a 32-yard field goal after a third-down stop by the San Francisco defense. Before the score, Baldwin was seen jogging into the locker room.
7:30, Second Quarter, 49ers 10-0: Russell Wilson scrambles around in the pocket and finds Doug Baldwin downfield for a 51-yard gain to the 49ers’ 11-yard line. Baldwin was shaken up on the play but was able to walk to the sideline under his own power with the team’s medical staff.
9:15, Second Quarter, 49ers 10-0: Russell Wilson completes a pass to the right to Golden Tate for a much-needed first down at the 35-yard line. This is an important drive for Seattle, as San Francisco receives the ball to start the second half.
10:03, Second Quarter, 49ers 10-0: Colin Kaepernick runs for 58 yards and now has 101 rushing yards on just six carries. It’s the longest run of his career, and the longest Seattle has given up this season.
Two plays later, Frank Gore rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to give the 49ers a 10-0 lead, but the play was reversed on a challenge. On the next play, running back Anthony Dixon ran up the middle for a score.
14:00, Second Quarter, 49ers: The Seahawks forced an incompletion on third down, but cornerback Richard Sherman was flagged for holding before the pass, setting up a first down for the 49ers.
14:45, Second Quarter, 49ers 3-0: LaMichael James muffs the punt, but the 49ers recover and retain possession. James was shaken up on the play. San Francisco will start this drive on its own 14-yard line.
End of First Quarter, 49ers 3-0: Russell Wilson completes a 23-yard pass to Doug Baldwin that was almost intercepted by 49ers defensive back Eric Reid. That’s a huge third-down conversion for the Seattle offense.
Wilson then attempted a pass deep down the middle that was incomplete, but 49ers safety Donte Whitner was called for a personal foul. A couple of plays later, a screen pass to running back Robert Turbin set up a third-and-long for Seattle at about midfield. Wilson was sacked by Navarro Bowman to force a punt.
The first quarter has ended.
6:20, First Quarter, 49ers 3-0: The 49ers appeared to be going for it on fourth-and-1, but a false start penalty forces a punt. The 49ers’ coverage team downs the ball at the 1-yard line.
8:46, First Quarter, 49ers 3-0: A 13-yard pass and a 17-yard run by Colin Kaepernick have moved the 49ers close to midfield. It’s obvious that if Kaepernick doesn’t see an open receiver, he will escape the pocket and run instead of forcing a pass into coverage.
11:15, First Quarter, 49ers 3-0: 49ers linebacker Navarro Bowman stops Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch on third-and-short. Seattle is forced to punt, and San Francisco will have the ball on its own 19-yard line following a holding penalty during the return.
The 49ers’ run defense hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in the last 22 games, and based on its early performance, that streak might extend to 23.
13:14, First Quarter, 49ers 3-0: The 49ers weren’t able to score a touchdown off the fumble recovery from Aldon Smith, but Phil Dawson did convert a 25-yard field goal to give his team an early lead. Credit the Seahawks defense for an impressive red zone stop on its first possession. It was the first time the Seattle defense has allowed points on the first possession of a game this season.
15:00, First Quarter, 0-0: The 49ers have kicked off for a touchback.
Seattle’s first play from scrimmage is a fumble by quarterback Russell Wilson that is recovered by Aldon Smith. San Francisco takes over inside the Seahawks’ 20-yard line.
6:38 p.m.: The 49ers have won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Seahawks will receive the ball to start the game.
6:25 p.m.: Even though 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is 0-2 in his career in Seattle, he’s a perfect 3-0 in road playoff games, which is the best mark in team history. The key for Kaepernick is to protect the football. In his two starts in Seattle, he’s thrown one touchdown pass and four interceptions, which has forced San Francisco to play catch-up in the second half.
He’s going up against the No. 1-ranked pass defense today, one that includes arguably the best cornerback in the league in Richard Sherman. Don’t be surprised if the 49ers look to establish running back Frank Gore and the rushing attack early to open up the passing game.
6:10 p.m.: Here’s an injury update.
49ers inactives: Eric Wright, Derek Carrier, Nick Moody, Ryan Seymour, Quinton Dial, Joe Looney and Jon Baldwin
Seahawks inactives: Percy Harvin, Christine Michael, Michael Bowie, Caylin Hauptmann, O’Brien Schofield, Benson Mayowa and Jordan Hill
Veteran cornerback Carlos Rogers returns to the 49ers’ lineup after missing last week’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
6 p.m.: We’re only about a half-hour away from kickoff in Seattle.
The winner of the game will play Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, who defeated the New England Patriots 26-16 in this afternoon’s AFC title game.
12:15 p.m. ET: The NFC Championship Game features a matchup of two fierce division rivals who know each other quite well: the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle is 8-1 at home this season (including the playoffs) and has beaten San Francisco by a combined score of 71-16 in the last two games played at CenturyLink Field, the venue of Sunday’s meeting. With that said, the 49ers are seeking their sixth straight road win going back to the regular season, and they are playing some of their best football of the year with a healthier roster, highlighted by the return of star wide receiver Michael Crabtree.
The 49ers are seeking their second consecutive NFC title game victory, while the Seahawks are aiming to reach their second Super Bowl in team history.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Follow all of the action — including score updates, highlights and analysis — right here on NESN’s live blog.
