Well, that was easy, wasn’t it?
The Seattle Seahawks destroyed the San Francisco 49ers from kickoff to the final whistle. A 41-6 blowout unlike anything Kyle Shanahan has experienced in nine seasons as the 49ers’ head coach. Seattle hadn’t won a playoff game since the 2019 season, hadn’t won a playoff game at home since the 2016 season, hadn’t beaten the 49ers at home since 2021, and ended all of those droughts in the most beautiful way possible.
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It’s time for winners and losers!
Seattle Seahawks winners
Kenneth Walker III has the best night of his career
With Zach Charbonnet injured in the first half, Kenneth Walker was undoubtedly the best running back. He delivered and then some with 145 yards of total offense, 119 rushing and three touchdowns. Walker was punching holes with conviction, finding his cutting lines, running around tacklers and showing the speed with which he wowed everyone at Michigan State and in his rookie year in Seattle.
I am very happy for K9. Frustrations and all with his injuries and performances over the last two seasons, he is playing the best football of his career.
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Sam Darnold battles injury and earns playoff victory
No, Darnold didn’t have any kind of monster game. I didn’t have to do it. Darnold was 12/17 for 124 yards and a touchdown, with several timely throws on third down and that second-and-20 fly ball to Cooper Kupp in the first quarter. I’m sure the fact that Darnold isn’t posting gaudy stats will do nothing to assuage skeptics about his abilities in the “big game,” but who cares? No turnovers, sharp shots and playing within himself while battling an oblique injury.
It’s good that Sam gets his first playoff win, and now he has a running game to take some of the pressure off of him and the passing game in general.
Playoffs Cooper Kupp reconnects
Hey, Cooper Kupp still has more left in the tank! Who would have thought he would lead all receivers in yards with 60? His five receptions were the most since the Indianapolis Colts game and the 60 yards were the most since the Arizona Cardinals blowout. If the Seahawks can land this version of Kupp for the rest of the playoffs, then watch out.
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Rashid Shaheed sets the tone from the start
That is instantly one of the most iconic plays in Seahawks history. Did the kick-off at home cause Rashid’s earthquake? That’s three special teams touchdowns since they arrived in Seattle, which is remarkable. Then you have that 30-yard run right before halftime that helps Seattle get that grueling touchdown. Even without being an impact player as a receiver, he’s still an impact player.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba scores his first touchdown against the 49ers
If I told you the Seahawks would win 41-6 and JSN had three catches for 19 yards, you’d think I’d be lying through my teeth. He scored his first career touchdown against San Francisco, and Deommodore Lenoir can headbutt someone else in Cancun.
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MORE BOBO?!
Well, just a little bit of Jake Bobo at catcher. For a guy who had more penalties than receptions on the year and multiple healthy scratches, he picked a great time to pop up again as a receiving option. Darnold converted a critical 3rd-and-10 on a tipped pass to Bobo just before halftime, turning a 17-6 game and a likely field goal attempt into a 24-6 rout. Don’t overlook the importance of that play.
Seahawks offensive line kicks ass again
John Benton, take a bow. The pass protection wasn’t amazing, but the run blocking was a thing of beauty to watch. It was bullyball at its finest. Kenneth Walker had rushing lanes, Zach Charbonnet hit an explosive before getting injured and Rashid Shaheed had a convoy on his 30-yard run. After years of being beaten by the 49ers in the running game, both on offense and defense, Seattle’s rushing attack dropped another 175 yards on the ground. This university is coming together at the perfect time and I have to thank non-OL players like AJ Barner, Robbie Ouzts and Eric Saubert for their contributions.
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And how about Amari Kight? Key block on Walker’s second TD while replacing the injured Charles Cross. Jalen Sundell goes up to the second level and crushes people. Anthony Bradford missed a block on a 3rd-and-1 and didn’t really have any problems the rest of the night. It was the kind of football Mike Macdonald envisioned and what we have missed seeing for years.
Klint Kubiak did not let himself be distracted by the coach’s interest
The Seahawks offense ended their damn drives. How about 4 of 6 in the red zone? There were few plays you could really complain about or question on a night where the Seahawks did whatever they wanted with the Niners defense. And with Kevin Stefanski going to the Atlanta Falcons, I think Kubiak’s chances of staying in Seattle have increased.
Ernest Jones IV is my hero
One interception and one forced fumble = two turnovers generated by Seattle’s superstar middle linebacker. In 2005, it was Lofa Tatupu. In 2013-2014, it was Bobby Wagner. In 2025, he is Ernest Jones IV. He is the natural successor at the position to Seattle’s all-time great teams and is a pleasure to watch play.
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DeMarcus Lawrence was a decisive signing for John Schneider
Every week it seems like Tank Lawrence finds a way to turn back time. He was nearly sacked (and thus Nick Emmanwori almost had a fumble return touchdown) on the 49ers’ first offensive play. Lawrence had a real garbage bag and Emmanwori was there for the recovery in what was pretty much garbage time. He also eliminated that fourth-down option with Kyle Juszczyk and continues to provide more pass rush than he anticipated.
Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy are the best interior pairing on the NFL’s injured list
How the hell do you block these two guys constantly for 60 minutes? Tricky question; you can’t do it. Williams was sacked on fourth down to start the second half, while Murphy was all over the place with pressures and phenomenal run defense.
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High school was barely talked about, which is good.
San Francisco got Ricky Pearsall back. Did it make any difference? Does 0 captures on 2 targets make a difference? He did some cardio, which is good for someone coming back from an injury. San Francisco’s receivers caught a combined three passes for 24 yards that night. Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, Coby Bryant, Julian Love and Josh Jobe were doing their thing. When Purdy had time, no one was open.
Mike Macdonald had the team ready
I don’t want this to come across as a Pete Carroll beatdown, but it doesn’t take much to look through Pete’s playoff game archives and see the Seahawks regularly trailing by double digits in the first half. It also happened even in a couple of wins. Ironically, Pete’s masterpiece was Super Bowl 48 where they hit the gas and went into fifth gear in an instant, and tonight was reminiscent of that performance.
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Coach Macdonald had the Seahawks raring to go in every way possible. There was no rust, there was no dysfunction, there was just clean football across the board. Seattle committed only two penalties, no turnovers in consecutive games for the first time in his young coaching tenure, and very few missed assignments, whether on offense or defense. What more could you ask for? Macdonald has more than earned his stripes as a top coach who is only getting better.
Seattle Seahawks Losers
No one is called a loser.
Come on, man! It’s 41-6 against a hated opponent. I’m not asking for any negativity tonight.
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Final notes
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Nick Emmanwori was bothered a bit in the first half in coverage, losing his responsibilities to Jake Tonges and on the floor. And yet, he still had a fumble to recover from and broke up a Hail Mary touchdown at the end of the half.
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Jason Myers alleviated any concerns about a potential drop after his brutal performance in Week 18. Michael Dickson was as fantastic as ever in punting duties.
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See? After all, we saw Drew Lock.
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Let’s hope Zach Charbonnet and Charles Cross are okay after their respective injuries. Those were the only truly depressing moments of the entire night.
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One more victory to reach the Super Bowl. Bears, Rams, it doesn’t matter. They’re on the cusp, which is incredible to think given that even the most optimistic fan would have been happy to make the playoffs and maybe make it to the Divisional Round. Of course I want the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl, but getting the 49ers out of the way was non-negotiable for me.
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Enemy Reaction will arrive on Monday. That way, we could cause a Rams collapse there, too. Whether the Rams win or lose, 49ers fans won’t be spared given all the upset this week. Be patient, my friends!