SEATTLE — No team wants to visit CenturyLink Field in the postseason.
The Seattle Seahawks proved that point again Monday while taking a huge step toward making their venue a big part of the playoffs.
After dismantling the New Orleans Saints 34-7 in a battle of NFC heavyweights Monday night, the Seahawks appear well on their way to earning home-field advantage throughout the NFC postseason.
With the win, Seattle (11-1) clinched a playoff berth.
“We beat them, so now we’ve got to be the best (team in the NFC),” Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner said after Seattle held the Saints to 188 yards of total offense.
Quarterback Russell Wilson led the Seahawks to their 14th consecutive home win by throwing for 310 yards and three touchdowns — one of which came on a third-quarter deflection. The pass bounced off tight end Kellen Davis’ hands to fullback Derrick Coleman, who caught the ball at the 2-yard line and dived into the end zone for the last score of the night.
“For us to come out and win the game the way we did was pretty awesome,” said Wilson, who completed 22 of 30 passes, including all eight of his attempts on third down. He did not throw an interception.
The Seahawks could officially wrap up the NFC West and move within one victory of clinching the NFC’s top seed with a win over the 49ers at San Francisco on Sunday.
“We haven’t proven anything yet,” Seattle defensive lineman Brandon Mebane said. “We’ve still got a lot of stuff to do.”
New Orleans (9-3) fell into a 17-point hole in the first quarter and never recovered. The Saints fell into a tie for first place in the NFC South, and they will play the division co-leaders, the Carolina Panthers, on Sunday night in New Orleans.
“You have to forget about (Monday’s loss) as soon as you can,” Saints defensive lineman Akiem Hicks said after New Orleans gave up 429 yards of total offense, 315 of which came before halftime. “We have to do what we can to prepare for another tough opponent.”
Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis shrugged off the significance of Monday’s loss.
“It’s cool,” Lewis said. “They got a good win. They should be celebrating. It’s like people always say: the last four Super Bowls, the wild-card team made it straight out. So it’s not over for us.”
Seattle improved its league-best record on “Monday Night Football” to 20-8 after winning for the eighth consecutive time on a Monday. The Seahawks are 9-1 in prime-time games played under coach Pete Carroll.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 23 of 38 passes for 147 yards and one touchdown. It was his lowest passing-yardage total since the 2006 season finale, despite playing against a Seattle secondary that was missing two of its top three cornerbacks, Brandon Browner (groin) and Walter Thurmond (suspension).
Byron Maxwell and Jeremy Lane filled in admirably for the Seahawks.
“The only reason those guys aren’t starting is because they have great players in front of them,” Seattle safety Earl Thomas said. “(Monday’s performance) shows the kind of depth we have.”
Seattle’s offense wasn’t shabby, either. In addition to their passing success, the Seahawks gained 127 yards on the ground. Wilson amassed a game-high 47 rushing yards on eight carries.
Two Wilson touchdown passes helped Seattle take a 27-7 lead into halftime.
The Seahawks jumped out to a 17-0 lead before the end of the first quarter thanks to two long scoring drives and a 22-yard fumble-return touchdown by defensive end Michael Bennett. Seattle linebacker Cliff Avril sacked Brees and caused a fumble, and the touchdown gave Seattle a 10-0 lead just 8:33 into the game.
“We got that touchdown, and it took a lot of energy out of (the Saints),” Wagner said. “That got the crowd going, and everything started happening from there.”
The Seahawks’ lead swelled to 17-0 when Wilson hit tight end Zach Miller on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 1:55 remaining in the first quarter.
The Saints, who didn’t record a first down until the final snap of the first quarter, pulled to within 17-7 on Brees’ 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jimmy Graham with 8:45 left in the first half.
The Seahawks responded by scoring 10 points in the final 3:41 of the second quarter. Steven Hauschka kicked his second field goal of the night, and then Wilson threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Doug Baldwin with 13 seconds remaining in the half to cap an 87-yard drive.
Miller finished with five catches for 86 yards, and Baldwin made four receptions for 77 yards.
NOTES: New Orleans starting RT Zach Strief came out of the game with an apparent left knee injury in the third quarter and did not return. … The Seahawks’ inactives included WR Percy Harvin, who has battled hip soreness since making his season debut Nov. 17. Harvin underwent offseason hip surgery and missed the first 10 games of the season. … The Saints failed to record a first down on their first three drives, the first time that happened to them since QB Drew Brees and coach Sean Payton arrived in 2006. … LB Keyunta Dawson (calf) and DE Glenn Foster (knee) were among the Saints’ inactive players. … Wilson is 14-0 as a starting quarterback at CenturyLink Field.