Week 18 Recap: Seahawks Beat the 49ers to Secure NFC No.1 Seed
With everything on the line, the San Francisco 49ers drop to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18. The NFC West rivals split the season series, but the Seahawks emerged with the NFC’s no.1 overall seed and a first-round playoff bye week. After the loss, the 49ers will end up either as the fifth or sixth seed in the NFC.
A key matchup in Saturday’s game was between Seattle’s defense and San Francisco’s offense. These units are led by their respective head coach, with Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald calling his defense and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan calling his offense. The Seahawks entered Week 18 with the second-best defense in the NFL, according to Pro Football Reference. On the other hand, Pro Football Reference also ranks the 49ers’ offense in the top 10, with one of the best passing attacks in the NFL.
The Seahawks’ defense started the game strong and held the 49ers scoreless in the first quarter. On the other side of the ball, Seattle running back Zach Charbonnet had a 27-yard touchdown run for the game’s only touchdown.
Seattle also found themselves in scoring position during their first drive of the second quarter, but kicker Jason Myers missed the field goal. However, Myers made his next field goal kick on the Seahawks’ following offensive drive. The 49ers were also able to score a field goal before the end of the second quarter, putting the halftime score at 10-3.
Both teams struggled coming out of the half and were scoreless in the third quarter. Myers made another field goal to start the fourth quarter. In response, San Francisco drove down the field with help from multiple deep completions by quarterback Brock Purdy. However, at the 6-yard line, the 49ers turned the ball over after running back Christian McCaffrey failed to catch a pass from Purdy.
San Francisco’s turnover brought all the momentum back to Seattle, as they were able to put Myers in position to kick another field goal. Despite the miss, the Seahawks bled the clock, essentially making it impossible for the 49ers come back. As the fourth quarter came to an end, the final scoreboard read 13-3, officially placing Seattle atop the NFC.
The 49ers will travel to Lincoln Financial Field to play the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 4:30 PM EST.