SEATTLE — After Seahawks players and fans filtered out of Lumen Field, Camryn Bynum turned to the cluster of purple ponchos manning the west bleachers. Minutes earlier, quarterback Sam Darnold took two knees to cement Minnesota's 27-24 win, the streaking 13-2 Vikings' eighth consecutive victory.

The 26-year-old Bynum — Minnesota's standout safety — stood at midfield, a silent statue, as stray players exchanged jerseys on an otherwise empty field. Then he raised both arms above his helmet and slowly, continuously clapped, while Vikings fans in the stands mirrored his movements.

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

The Seahawks' regular season home slate ended in applause.

All too often, the 12s haven't been the ones clapping.

In fact, the Seahawks' 3-6 home record may be what ultimately seals their fate. It's a punishing trend for a team with a reputation for protecting its turf, decades of forced false starts and booming decibels deteriorating by the day. Now, Seattle — which owns a remarkable 5-1 record away from home — must close its season with road wins against the Bears and Rams.

Even that might not be enough to leave Los Angeles with an NFC West title.

"We gave ourselves a shot, obviously didn't get it done," Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith said Sunday after completing 31 of 43 passes for 314 yards with three touchdowns and a pair of crushing picks. "Not how we wanted to close it out at home."

But don't pin the Seahawks' home struggles on fading fan support, or on season-ticket holders selling their seats to opportunistic outsiders wearing red or green or purple. Instead, place the responsibility squarely where it belongs.

Because the fans didn't surrender a blocked field-goal attempt and subsequent 60-yard return touchdown against the fledgling New York Giants, who have lost 10 consecutive games (with three separate quarterbacks) since that 29-20 victory.

The fans didn't whiff on a tackle on "Thursday Night Football," for all Amazon Prime subscribers to see, allowing 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel to gallop down the sideline for a 76-yard score.

The fans didn't yield 445 total yards in a 31-10 beating against the Buffalo Bills.

The fans didn't force overtime against the division rival Rams ... only to be stuffed on fourth-and-short, then surrender a game-ending, 39-yard touchdown that quarterback Matthew Stafford perfectly placed beyond Riq Woolen's extended arms.

The fans didn't come out slow on "Sunday Night Football," spotting the Green Bay Packers two touchdowns in a calamitous opening quarter.

The fans didn't fail to finish on Sunday. The Seahawks did.

Tasked with protecting a 24-20 fourth-quarter lead, Seattle imploded instead. Rookie defensive lineman Byron Murphy II was called for an unfortunate face-mask penalty, negating a sack that would have dropped Darnold into a third-and-18 hole. Minnesota's redemptive quarterback took immediate advantage, lofting a 39-yard touchdown to standout receiver Justin Jefferson on the very next play.

"It killed me, because that right there would have sealed the game. We would have won," a subdued Murphy said of the penalty. "But obviously it was a penalty, a 15-yard penalty at that. Then they end up scoring right after that. So it hurt. A lot."

That hurt extended to the Seahawks offense, which also squandered opportunities to deliver down the stretch. On first-and-10 from Minnesota's 37-yard line, Smith surrendered a six-yard sack, and Jason Myers' 60-yard field-goal attempt fell short two plays later. Then, after Seattle's defense answered with a critical three-and-out, Smith threw an immediate interception to diffuse the drama.

"We had a real good game plan," said left guard Laken Tomlinson, whose words were punctuated by long pauses, in obvious anguish. "We came in with a ton of confidence, guys firing off the ball. But for it to get away from us at the end, it stings."

When asked why their fourth-quarter comeback fizzled, Smith simply said: "I threw a pick."

But Sunday's loss alone didn't put the Seahawks in a precarious position. They should have beaten the Giants. They could have beaten the Rams and Vikings. Their home slate was peppered with enough should'ves and could'ves to potentially sink their season.

All of which makes Sunday's scene cruelly appropriate, as Bynum conducted a clapping orchestra in an otherwise empty Lumen Field. The Vikings fans, in their purple ponchos and Jefferson jerseys, bunched together — and in doing so blotted out several rows of white seats.

Those seats, of course, serve a separate purpose. Bordered by blue, each connect to form the No. 12.

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