It's a showdown that has felt inevitable since about halfway through the season. Short of a win-or-go-home postseason game, the stakes don't get much bigger than what is set to take place Sunday at CenturyLink Field.
There, the San Francisco 49ers (12-3) and the Seattle Seahawks (11-4) will square off for the NFC West division crown and, potentially, the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
It's too soon to say the Niners-Seahawks rivalry is back to where it was from 2011 to 2014, but games like this can help provide the spark that brings it back to prominence.