Seahawks lose, but still win division

Arizona beat the 49ers to wrap up the title for Seattle.
SEATTLE (AP) -- Michael Boulware sat in his locker, head in his hands, tears welling in his eyes with a stream of teammates trying to console him.
And this was just after his team clinched its third straight division title.
The Seattle Seahawks are headed back to the playoffs as NFC West champs, despite a 20-17 loss to San Diego on Sunday, the Seahawks' third straight defeat. Seattle claimed the mediocre division when Arizona beat San Francisco 26-20, ending the 49ers' fleeting playoff hopes.
But there were few celebratory words afterward, replaced by soft voices of dejection after San Diego's Vincent Jackson slipped behind Seattle's secondary for a 37-yard touchdown with 29 seconds remaining. Boulware was the most obvious one beaten on the play -- the week he was reinserted into the starting lineup.
"They did an excellent job executing," Boulware said, trying to fight off tears. "I've got to give them credit. I just have to play the play better. I did a poor job."
For much of the game, Seattle finally looked like the team that rolled through the NFC a year ago. The defense was stout against San Diego's record-setting running back LaDanian Tomlinson, and flustered quarterback Philip Rivers. The offense showed consistency running the football with last year's MVP Shaun Alexander.
Alexander runs well
Alexander rushed for a pair of touchdowns and his 140 yards was just the second time he eclipsed 100 yards rushing this season. Meanwhile, Tomlinson had 123 yards, but 62 of those came on one burst through the line in the second quarter to set up the Chargers' first touchdown. Otherwise, Tomlinson averaged less than 3 yards per carry and failed to find the end zone for the first time since Oct. 8 against Pittsburgh.
But those feelings of accomplishment were lost by many of the Seahawks. Nearly every player took his commemorative NFC West division champion T-shirt and hat, stuffed them in a bag and split.
For coach Mike Holmgren, those overwhelming feelings had him reiterating the positive of winning the division.
"Our first goal was to win the division, and we won the division," Holmgren said. "People can say whatever they want to about that and I frankly don't care."
While Seattle struggled with the mixed emotions, the Chargers relished their ninth straight victory. The AFC West champs (13-2) set a team record for wins in a season. A victory at home against Arizona next week would give them the top seed in the conference for the first time since 1980. The Chargers already have an opening-round bye for the first time in 12 years, thanks to Houston beating Indianapolis earlier in the day.
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