The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO - The Seattle Seahawks' bench practically exploded when Jeff Garcia skipped a fourth-down pass off the turf at midfield with 1:06 left. Several Seahawks charged onto the field waving their helmets, and several others threw most of their uniforms into the crowd in celebration.

The Seahawks' 24-17 victory over San Francisco on Saturday earned them a chance at the playoffs - and an uneasy Sunday of waiting.

Matt Hasselbeck passed for 315 yards and threw scoring passes to Koren Robinson and Alex Bannister to keep the Seahawks' postseason hopes alive.

Seattle's first win in San Francisco since 1979 wasn't pretty, with both teams struggling to move the ball on a chilly day at Candlestick Park. But Hasselbeck and Boone County High graduate Shaun Alexander came up with just enough big plays to give the Seahawks (10-6) their second road victory of the season and a sweep of the 49ers in 2003.

Now the Seahawks need Minnesota to lose at Arizona, or Denver to beat Green Bay at Lambeau Field today. Seattle also could get in if Dallas loses at New Orleans, kicking off a complicated scenario that would eliminate the Packers.

"You win, and you give yourself a chance to go the playoffs," said Alexander, who rushed for 60 of his 85 yards in the fourth quarter. "I thought, 'I can't let this opportunity slip away to do something this organization hasn't done for a long time.' "

The Seahawks haven't made the playoffs since coach Mike Holmgren's first season in 1999, but they're ready to end that frustration with consecutive season-ending victories against NFC West rivals Arizona and San Francisco.

"We needed to win the last two to have a chance," Holmgren said. "They did what I asked them to do. Now it's out of our hands. I told the fellas if they don't normally go to church, I want them in church tomorrow. I hope we get a chance to keep playing."

The Seahawks went ahead 21-17 late in the third on Robinson's diving 30-yard TD catch, which was upheld after review. Robinson had six catches for 85 yards.

After several minutes of ineffective offense for both teams, the Seahawks made a pounding 70-yard drive centered on Alexander. Seattle handed off to Alexander on nine of the 13 plays on the drive, which ended with Josh Brown's 33-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining to clinch the franchise's first 10-win season in 17 years.

"The things we were doing were stupid mistakes, and very correctable," Hasselbeck said. "Nobody lost their mind, and everybody kept their calm."