Are the Seahawks Super Bowl Contenders?

It was a thrilling game. It was a brutal game.

Once the laughing stock of the NFL, the NFC West now has the NFL's most hotly anticipated game - the biannual battle between San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick, Marshawn Lynch v Frank Gore, two of the best defences in the NFL.

Act I of this newly revitalized football rivalry went according to script with defences reigning over attack - the usually reliable and sound Kaepernick and Wilson were picked off twice. The Seahawks defence aided by the tweltfth man, their fans and noise they created, ensured that this was going to be one of the most difficult nights of young Kaepernick's career and it showed. Even more elite quarterbacks would have struggled to make their calls in such an arena.

The only thing that didn't go to script was the lightning and thunderstorm - the third game in weeks to be affected by the weather.

Colin found himself back on the turf a lot tonight

Indeed, it was defence like that, which could make the Seahawks real contenders for the Super Bowl. Pete Carroll has really transferred the fire to his defence and any team will find it hard to play against them. The key for the Hawks is to carry that form away from Seattle.

If they can, there's no reason why they and not the 49ers could be the NFC's representatives in New York in February.