Divisional Round Recap: Seahawks dismantle the 49ers to advance to NFC Championship
With all eyes on this NFC West rematch, the Seattle Seahawks eliminate the San Francisco 49ers from playoff contention and advance to the Divisional Round. These teams last played in Week 18 and, behind their dominant defense, the Seahawks emerged victorious to capture the NFC no. 1 seed.
This rematch put a spotlight on Seattle’s league-leading defense and San Francisco’s talented offense. In their Week 18 contest, the 49ers scored only three points and struggled to find any rhythm offensively. Last week, San Francisco’s offense returned to form in the Wild Card Round. The 49ers went into the Divisional Round without Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle, who tore his Achilles tendon against the Eagles.
The Seahawks took a commanding 7-0 lead to start the game. Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed scored a 95-yard kick return touchdown. San Francisco tried to respond on their next drive, but turned the ball over on downs. Seattle took advantage, and kicker Jason Myers notched a field goal. On the following drive, the 49ers turned the ball over again, as tight end Jake Tonges was unable to secure the pass. The turnover set up a scoring drive that ended in a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Darnold to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
San Francisco was down 17-0 to start the second quarter. They found some momentum on offense and had two made field goals by kicker Eddy Pineiro. However, Shaheed found the endzone again, to put the Seahawks up 24-6 at halftime.
Seattle continued to dominate throughout the second half, while the 49ers went scoreless. Running back Kenneth Walker III scored two rushing touchdowns, and Myers made another field goal to put the final score at 41-6. With the win, the Seahawks advance to the NFC Championship game and play against the Los Angeles Rams.
The 49ers will go into the offseason looking to get healthy. Despite the injuries on both offense and defense, San Francisco was able to win a playoff game against the reigning Super Bowl champions and make a run to the NFC Divisional Round. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is hoping to go into the 2026 season with the team’s leaders and make another deep playoff run.