Photo Credit: ESPN
There are many ways I could start off this article, but I’m going to start it the way it deserves. The Seattle Seahawks are the number one seed in the NFC and have won the NFC West. If I told you that in March, you would have called me crazy. But what once seemed like a pipe dream is now a reality.
The Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, 13–3, in a game where the scoreboard doesn’t tell the whole story. Seattle dominated this game from start to finish.
The run game that was so heavily advertised since Seattle hired Klint Kubiak finally showed up in a big way after being nonexistent for most of the year. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet had huge games on the ground. Walker rushed for 97 yards, while Charbonnet added 74, including a 27-yard touchdown, which was Seattle’s only touchdown of the day.
The Seahawks controlled the line of scrimmage from the first snap. They consistently picked up solid gains on first down, setting up manageable second downs like 2nd-and-3 and 2nd-and-4, allowing the offense to stay in rhythm throughout the game. Seattle finished with 180 rushing yards, their second-best total of the season.
On Seattle’s first drive, they faced a 4th-and-goal from the four-yard line, and surprisingly, they went for it. All season I’ve talked about the Seahawks’ conservative play-calling. Even though they didn’t convert, it was good to see Kubiak finally grew a pair of you know what. It took 18 weeks, but in an important game with the number one seed at stake, it was an encouraging sign.
Going into the game, Jason Myers had made the most field goals in the NFL. He missed two on Saturday, one from 47 yards and another from 26… somehow.
The Seahawks led 10–3 at halftime, but it easily could have been more, and it felt like more. Why? Because of their defense.
The 49ers came into this game averaging 36 points per game over their last three contests. The Seahawks held them to three. Yes, in recent weeks San Francisco was scoring a touchdown almost every time they touched the ball. On Saturday, every first down they picked up felt like a major accomplishment.
San Francisco couldn’t stay on the field offensively, and they couldn’t get off the field defensively. Seattle was in total control of the game. However, because of offensive miscues, the Seahawks couldn’t fully capitalize on the scoreboard. Credit to the 49ers’ defense for keeping the game close and limiting explosive plays.
Early in the fourth quarter, after Sam Darnold slipped and fumbled the snap on first down, Seattle faced a 3rd-and-16 from their own 25-yard line. With the 49ers only down seven, it felt like the momentum was about to swing. Instead, the Seahawks ran a toss to Walker, who picked up the first down. Which seemed like a backbreaker. Myers then drilled a 31-yard field goal to put Seattle up 10.
On the ensuing San Francisco drive, the 49ers moved the ball better than they had all game, quickly marching into Seattle territory. They had 1st-and-goal at the nine with a chance to make it a one-score game midway through the fourth quarter. On 2nd-and-goal from the six, Brock Purdy’s pass appeared to be tipped by Boye Mafe but was still on target for Christian McCaffrey. The ball slipped through McCaffrey’s hands and was intercepted by Drake Thomas at the three-yard line.
The Seahawks then took 8:01 off the clock. Even though they didn’t add to their lead, it was enough to secure the win, the number one seed, and the division title.
The run game clearly led the charge offensively, but the narrative that Sam Darnold doesn’t play well when it matters needs to stop. He wasn’t asked to do much against the 49ers, but when he needed to make throws, he did. Especially on Seattle’s final drive, on 3rd-and-10, he escaped the pocket and hit Cooper Kupp for a huge gain to help seal the game.
Perhaps the only disappointing part of the game was that Jaxon Smith-Njigba didn’t break Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving yards record. JSN still had a strong performance, finishing with six catches for 84 yards. He led the league with 1,793 receiving yards, the eighth-most all-time, but finished 171 yards short of Johnson’s record of 1,964.
The Seahawks finished the season with a 14–3 record, a franchise best. They earned the number one seed for the fourth time and claimed their first division title since 2020. Seattle will get a week off and will face the lowest remaining seed in the NFC playoffs.
