Seahawks start fast, roll past 49ers in NFC divisional round

SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks demonstrated they could secure a spot in the NFC Championship Game without a fully fit Sam Darnold. The team’s support network proved to be exceptionally effective.

Coach Mike Macdonald’s team solidified its standing as a top contender in this season’s playoffs with a comprehensive 41-6 victory over division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, on Saturday night.

Seattle’s premier special teams set the tone by having Rashid Shaheed return the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, followed by two field goals from Jason Myers. The league’s best scoring defense secured three takeaways, forced three additional turnovers on downs, and restricted San Francisco to just two field goals. Kenneth Walker III contributed three rushing touchdowns while Darnold performed well despite nursing an oblique injury from Thursday’s practice, giving Seahawks fans a thrilling show in their first home playoff game with a live audience in nine years.

Such a performance bolstered the Seahawks’ Super Bowl aspirations, even with their quarterback potentially at less than full capacity.

Analysis of QB performance: Darnold arrived on the field approximately 45 minutes before kickoff, missing early warmups to manage his pre-game throws. Nevertheless, he displayed no limitations when play began, exhibiting good movement and throwing with his typical velocity. His lone touchdown pass came when he rolled left to deliver a precise throw to receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the end zone. Darnold completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards before being substituted with nine minutes left, as Seattle led by 35. He didn’t need to chase heroics, playing safely and putting the ball at risk only once without consequence.

Trend to Monitor: With their strong commitment to the run, an effective rushing plan, and two capable running backs, it was only a matter of time before the Seahawks tapped into offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s rushing strategy. Following a tough regular season, Seattle’s run game is thriving, as evidenced by their fourth consecutive game with over 160 rushing yards. Walker (116 carries for 19 yards and three touchdowns) led the effort, but Zach Charbonnet exited in the second quarter with a knee issue and did not return. also, left tackle Charles Cross suffered a foot injury in the third quarter, adding to concerns for Seattle heading into the conference title match.

Decisive Moment: If it wasn’t Shaheed’s opening kickoff touchdown or the turnover on downs from the 49ers on their opening drive, it was Ernest Jones IV’s forced fumble later in the first quarter. The second-team All-Pro inside linebacker stripped tight end Jake Tonges after a reception. Safety Julian Love recovered, paving the way for Darnold’s touchdown pass to Smith-Njigba, expanding the lead to 17-0. From there, it was all Seahawks. Jones picked off Brock Purdy in the third quarter, as Seattle’s defense limited San Francisco to just three field goals over the last two contests.

Key Stat: The Seahawks pressured Purdy on 19 of his 33 dropbacks (58%), marking the second-highest pressure rate and the most pressures he has faced in a game to date. He completed 6 of 14 passes for 74 yards, with an interception, two sacks, and a lost fumble under pressure. The Seahawks’ 19 pressures are their highest in 20 playoff games tracked by ESPN since 2009, surpassing their prior record of 15 set in the 2016 postseason. — Brady Henderson

Upcoming Game: vs. Chicago Bears/Los Angeles Rams (6:30 p.m. ET, Jan. 25)

In many ways, the 49ers’ season concluding on the same field where it began was poetic.

Way back in Week 1, the Niners managed to rally past injuries and their own mistakes to secure a shocking victory against the Seahawks.

As both teams arrived at the NFC divisional round on Saturday night, Seattle had evolved into a legitimate Super Bowl contender, while the injury-plagued Niners—missing key players such as Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and George Kittle—were barely holding on, hoping for a miracle to overcome their rivals.

in the end, after 18 games in which the 49ers displayed remarkable resilience, they simply ran out of steam. For the second time in three weeks, Seattle established its superiority, leaving the Niners bereft of the magic that had propelled them throughout the season.

A humiliating defeat to a divisional foe in the playoffs will surely sting for San Francisco as they look towards a crucial offseason.

but, once the pain wears off, the 49ers could take solace in the fact that a season initially projected as a rebuilding year resulted in 13 wins and a spot in the NFC’s Final Four. There are numerous challenges ahead, especially resolving ongoing injury issues. Significant improvements will be needed for the pass rush, receiving corps, and secondary. A change at defensive coordinator may also be on the horizon if Robert Saleh pursues a head coaching opportunity.

While they may not want to hear this right now, the Niners have much to work with once they sift through Saturday’s disheartening loss.

Decisive Moment: After the Seahawks kicked off the game with a 95-yard touchdown return by Rashid Shaheed, the 49ers’ offense had a chance to respond and quiet the boisterous Seattle crowd. Facing third-and-1 at Seattle’s 40-yard line, coach Kyle Shanahan opted for a running play with Christian McCaffrey instead of the effective quarterback sneak from Brock Purdy. The play resulted in no gain.

Shanahan decided to attempt a fourth down conversion with a throw from Purdy to receiver Jauan Jennings, but officials ruled it premature and awarded Seattle a timeout. The delay led to a complicated play design where fullback Kyle Juszczyk ran right with the option to pitch to McCaffrey; however, the last-minute toss went out of bounds. Surveillance on the Seahawks soon followed, who managed a field goal to push the lead to 10-0, never allowing the Niners to draw close thereafter.

Most Unexpected Performance: The absence of 49ers wide receivers was keenly felt.

San Francisco anticipated that Ricky Pearsall’s return from knee and ankle injuries would bolster the offense, yet Purdy found little success against Seattle’s top-ranked defense, primarily targeting tight end Jake Tonges or McCaffrey—both of whom were also dealing with injuries in the third quarter.

Pearsall had only two targets in the opening three quarters and missed a critical third-down conversion late in the second quarter. Overall, Niners wideouts managed just three receptions for 24 yards on 10 throws, well below expectations for a team missing Kittle (Achilles).

Key Stat: How significant was Seattle’s victory over the Niners? The 35-point difference was not only the largest in the Kyle Shanahan coaching era (since 2017) but also ranks as the second-worst playoff loss in the team’s history. The only greater postseason defeat for the 49ers occurred in the 1987 divisional round against the New York Giants, where they lost 49-3, a 46-point margin that remains the fifth-largest in playoff history. — Nick Wagoner

Upcoming Game: Week 1, 2026