Rapid Reaction: Seahawks Maul 49ers in 41-6 Thumping, Advance to NFC Championship Game
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="3631"]
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) carries the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images [/caption]
SEATTLE, Wash. - Entering Saturday night, fans had waited nine years for the Seattle Seahawks to host a playoff game with spectators in the stands. Rashid Shaheed and company made sure to reward the 12s for their patience and then some, scoring 17 unanswered points in the first quarter to race to a dominating 34-6 Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Rocketing 95 yards through San Francisco’s kick coverage on the first snap from scrimmage, Shaheed set a new team record for longest kick return for a touchdown in a playoff game to put Seattle up 7-0 just 13 seconds into the game. Sam Darnold added a four-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Ken Walker III scored the first of three touchdowns before the half as the Seahawks built an insurmountable 24-6 advantage. Ernest Jones recorded an interception and a forced fumble to lead the ‘Hawks suffocating defense, which one again held the 49ers out of the end zone for a second time in as many weeks.
Here are five quick takeaways from Seattle’s blowout win to advance to the NFC Championship Game:
1. Playing at less than 100%, the Seahawks got more than enough from Sam Darnold to blow the game open early.
An unexpected late addition to Seattle’s injury report on Thursday and listed as questionable with an oblique strain, Darnold’s status remained somewhat in question leading up to kickoff on Saturday, as the veteran quarterback didn’t join Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe for pre-game throws per usual. But he wasn’t listed as inactive and took the field in full pads moments later, looking healthy while lofting the ball around the field during individual and team drills. Not asked to do too much early, Walker took a short dump off from him on the first series and turned it into an 11-yard gain, eventually setting up a Jason Myers field goal to push the lead to 10-0 halfway through the first quarter. On the next series, after taking a 10-yard sack, he dropped a dime in the bucket on a 21-yard corner route to Cooper Kupp to convert on 2nd and 20. Capping off the drive, he rolled out to his left and aced the test with his oblique injury, firing a strike that threw Smith-Njigba open in the back lefthand corner of the end zone for a score.
Already up 17 at that point, the Seahawks didn’t need Darnold to throw much for the remainder of the game, as he only attempted 17 throws before exiting early in the fourth quarter to give way for Lock. But with those chances, he was incredibly efficient and protected the football, completing 70% of his passes for 124 yards, 7.3 yards per attempt, and a touchdown. Most importantly, he didn’t throw an interception or lose a fumble, playing clean football that help spearhead the blowout in the first two quarters while leaving without further injury. Posting a 110.9 passer rating, he turned in the type of performance Seattle will be more than happy with when the run game is humming, the defense isn’t giving up any touchdowns, and special teams is contributing points on the scoreboard.
2. Giving the 49ers a rude welcome, K9 went berserk behind a punishing offensive line with a historic performance.
For anyone who wondered if the Seahawks were going to have any signs of rust coming off of their bye week, they emphatically silenced those concerns early, including picking up where they left off on the ground. After averaging more than 170 rushing yards per game in the final three regular season contests, Walker led the way with 41 rushing yards in the first half, pushing Seattle’s lead to 18 in the closing moments with a seven-yard touchdown run where he bounced outside as if he was hit by a ping pong racket. Even with Zach Charbonnet sidelined by a knee injury, Walker was just getting started, taking over behind a road grading offensive line that chewed up San Francisco’s front seven from start to finish.
Still ahead 27-6 inside four minutes left to play in the third quarter, Walker took a handoff from Darnold in the red zone and bounced the run wide left, following outstanding blocks from left tackle Amari Kight and left guard Grey Zabel. With a crease created by a seal block from Kight, who stepped in for Charles Cross in the second half, he exploded past multiple defenders for a 15-yard score, turning a blowout into an absolute laugher. Tying Shaun Alexander for a team record for rushing touchdowns in a single game, he struck once more in the fourth quarter, this time breaking a tackle as he bounced a run to the right for a six-yard touchdown. He wrapped up the game with 116 yards and three scores as the Seahawks finished with 175 yards as a team, continuing to show they have a championship caliber rushing attack at the right time.
3. Turnovers set the tone early as Seattle’s defense continues to confound Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan.
14 days after holding Kyle Shanahan’s offense to just a field goal - the fewest points they had scored since the coach’s debut back in 2017 - the Seahawks picked up right where they left off coming out of the bye. Despite a Jason Myers’ penalty failing to reach the landing zone on the kickoff after Shaheed’s return and giving San Francisco great starting field position at the 40-yard line, the defense held serve on 4th and 1, blowing up Kyle Juszczyk on a trick fullback option play that wound up being fumbled out of bounds for a turnover on downs. On the next possession, tight end Jake Tonges had a first down after reeling a catch in from Purdy over the middle, only for Jones to rip the ball out of his hands and safety Julian Love to recover the fumble. That turnover set up Darnold’s touchdown to Smith-Njigba for instant offense, extending the lead to 17-0 at the time.
Though the 49ers did manage to score two field goals in the second quarter to briefly keep the game somewhat close, the Seahawks kept creating havoc in the second half as the lead continued to balloon to the delight of the 12s. Jones notched his second turnover of the night when Purdy’s throw to tight end Luke Farrell sailed behind the receiver and he intercepted it, once again setting Seattle up with excellent field position in opposing territory. Walker scored moments later, turning the turnover into seven more points. Putting the cherry on top, Demarcus Lawrence chased down Purdy from behind for a strip sack in the fourth quarter, ending another promising drive with safety Nick Emmanwori recovering the fumble to ensure the 49ers wouldn’t find the end zone for a second straight game against Mike Macdonald’s defense.
4. Another night, another outing completely shutting down Christian McCaffrey and San Francisco’s run game.
Two weeks ago, McCaffrey endured one of his worst games as an NFL player, rushing for 23 yards on eight carries as the Seahawks suffocated him all night long. That total was his fewest rushing yards in any game with the 49ers, and while he was a bit more productive on Saturday night, he once again was relegated to a non-factor for the most part. Aside from a couple screens going for first downs early, he rushed for just 35 yards on 11 carries, held for 3.2 yards per carry or less for the third straight time by the Seahawks. He also didn’t do much in the passing game, catching five passes for 39 yards with no touchdowns before being hobbled by an upper body injury in the second half.
As for the rest of San Francisco’s run game, Purdy was the only source of explosiveness for Shanahan’s crew, as he escaped the pocket a few times for solid runs, including an 18-yard gain. He ended the night with five carries for 37 yards, but that 18-yard run came late in the first half before a Hail Mary attempt in the closing seconds fell harmlessly to the turf, making those yards empty ones. Overall, the 49ers rushed for 108 yards, but only 81 of those came before reserves checked in late in the first quarter, and the Seahawks extended their streak to 26 games without allowing a 100-yard rusher in another stifling performance.
5. John Schneider’s trade deadline theatrics continue to pay dividends under the brightest lights.
The NFL Executive of the Year award won’t be announced for a few weeks, but if anyone wanted further proof Schneider should win by a landslide, the Seahawks’ 35-pound walloping on Saturday night should more than do the trick. At the center of Seattle’s butt-whooping under the Lumen lights, the last three players acquired by the renowned general manager at the trade deadline starred, starting with Shaheed’s heroics in the opening seconds. Brought on board from the Saints in October, the fourth-year wideout has been a game-changing force on special teams, and continued to bring the electricity in a playoff setting at Lumen Field. Rocketing behind blocks from Brady Russell and Patrick O’Connell, he slithered through a tackle attempt before evading kicker Eddie Pineiro’s trip tackle attempt, staying on his feet to race for his third return touchdown in the past six games to give Seattle an immediate 7-0 lead.
Shaheed later added a 30-yard run on an end around, helping the Seahawks rush for 175 yards. But he wasn’t the only recent trade deadline acquisition to dominate in the annihilation, as Jones - who was so sick earlier in the week that he missed practice on Wednesday - forced a fumble and intercepted Purdy to lead to 14 points on offense. Meanwhile, Leonard Williams wrecked the 49ers’ offensive line, snuffing out a 4th and 2 play action pass thanks to the advice of rookie guard Grey Zabel to sack Purdy for a turnover on downs and adding another pressure that resulted in a fourth down incompletion in the fourth quarter. Along with building one of the youngest rosters in the league, Schneider’s efforts finding outstanding talents at the deadline continues to be matched by none, which has been integral in positioning the franchise for another Super Bowl run.
