The Seattle Seahawks are opening the 2026 calendar season by buying into the 2016 nostalgia trend. Lumen Field is once again a pit of doom for the visiting San Francisco 49ers like it was when the "Legion of Doom" defense was roaming the field in Seattle in the 2010s. The present day Seahawks whipped the 49ers 41-6 in their NFC divisional round showdown with the 49ers to advance to the NFC Championship game. The 35-point victory is now tied for the most lopsided victory in Seattle's franchise history along with the 43-8 blowout win in Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos.
They'll host the winner of Sunday's matchup between the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Rams and the second-seeded Chicago Bears. The Seahawks are now in their first NFC Championship game since 2014, and their third in a row as the conference's No. 1 seed.
Seattle began Saturday night with a bang: Pro Bowl returner Rashid Shaheed raced up the middle of the field for a 95-yard kickoff return on the game's opening play, which whipped the Seattle crowd into a frenzy. Shaheed's kickoff return score was the NFL playoffs' first since Dion Lewis' for the New England Patriots in 2016, and it also the Seahawks' third in playoff franchise history. Momentum continued to tilt the Seahawks' way on the 49ers' opening drive. Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald called timeout just before the 49ers' initial fourth-and-1 play commenced, and before the refs blew it dead, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy hit Jauan Jennings for a first down. After the timeout, an option run play between fullback Kyle Juszcyk and running back Christian McCaffrey went backwards for a loss of three.
The Seahawks then settled for a 31-yard field goal before they forced the official first 49ers' turnover of the night. Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones forced a fumble by ripping the football out of San Francisco tight end Jake Tonges' arms, and Seahawks safety Julian Love jumped on the loose ball for the takeaway. Five plays later, Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold perfectly executed a play-action rollout to toss a dart to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 4-yard touchdown in the back left corner of the end zone. That put Seattle up three scores, 17-0, with just 1:50 left to play in the opening quarter. Darnold finished the night with 124 yards and a touchdown on 12 of 17 passing.
The Seahawks going up 17-0 was significant because NFL teams are now just 2-16 in playoff history when trailing by at least 17 points after the first quarter of a playoff game. That score also marked both the largest lead for the Seahawks after the first quarter of a playoff game, and the largest deficit for the 49ers after the first quarter of a playoff game.
San Francisco's offense picked up seven first downs combined on its first two drives of the second quarter with each one ending with a field goal from Eddie Pineiro -- one from 40 yards out and another from 56 yards out. Seattle countered the consecutive 49ers' scoring drives with a 10-play, 80-yard march that concluded in a cutback, 7-yard rushing touchdown for running back Kenneth Walker III. That put the host Seahawks up 18, 24-6, with 31 seconds remaining in the first half. Walker added a 15-yard rushing touchdown and a 6-yard rushing touchdown in the second half for the hat trick. He finished the night 116 yards rushing and 3 rushing touchdowns on 19 carries for a 6.1 yards per carry average. Walker joined Shaun Alexander as the only Seahawks with at least three rushing touchdowns in a playoff game.
The Seahawks threw the 49ers in a locker in the second half, outscoring them 17-0. San Francisco's three third-quarter drives resulted in two turnovers on downs and a Purdy interception while their first possession of the fourth quarter concluded with a strip-sack of Purdy. Purdy finished the night with 140 yards passing, an interception and a lost fumble on 15 of 27 passing while spending much of the night running for his life. Both teams subbed the backups into the game with just over nine minutes left to play.
From the opening kickoff, it was very easy to tell which team had 13 days of rest, the Seahawks, and which team was playing on a short week after an opening round win at the Philadelphia Eagles, the 49ers. Seattle just played a faster, more physical brand of football in all three phases Saturday. Shaheed left the 49ers' kickoff return unit in the dust for an immediate touchdown. Linebacker Ernest Jones punched the football out of 49ers tight end Jake Tonges' arms to force a fumble that transformed into a takeaway. Jones also stepped in front of San Francisco tight end Luke Farrell to pick off Purdy. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams exploded through the 49ers' offensive line to rack up a 14-yard sack of Purdy on fourth-and-2 on San Francisco's opening drive of the second half. Edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence strip-sacked Purdy, and safety Nick Emmanwori recovered the loose ball for the third takeaway of the night.
The 49ers end the season scoring a combined 26 points in three games against the Seahawks this season. That ties the fewest points scored by any team among 76 single-season head-to-head matchups with three games in the Super Bowl era, since 1966, per CBS Sports Research. The 1994 Pittsburgh Steelers also held the Cleveland Browns to a combined 26 points across three matchups.
| Fewest points scored in head-to-head matchups with three games, Super Bowl era | Points scored | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
49ers (2025) | 26 | Seahawks |
Browns (1994) | 26 | Steelers |
Colts (1971) | 28 | Dolphins |
Buccaneers (1997) | 29 | Packers |
With the Seahawks' raucous home crowd coming back to life after a few years of going dormant in addition to dominating in all three phases, Seattle looks every bit like a Super Bowl favorite.
Darnold popped up on the Seahawks' injury report on Thursday, the final practice day of the week, as a limited practice participant with an oblique injury. However, he appeared to be totally unbothered by the ailment and the 49ers' defense. Darnold played a crisp brand of football, completing 12 of his 17 throws for 124 yards and a touchdown. With an extra day of rest before the NFC championship on Jan. 25, Darnold could very well be perfectly healthy when Seattle returns to action with a trip to Super Bowl LX on the line.
Entering the divisional round, the 49ers led all playoff teams in player games missed because of injuries with 287. Factor that in with flying 3,000 miles and then playing on a short week on Saturday night, and it looked like San Francisco was running uphill both ways Saturday night in Seattle. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has done a great job with making lemonade out of a reduced inventory of lemons, but there just wasn't any juice left to squeeze out of his 2025 49ers bunch.
Both teams have emptied their benches. It's over. Purdy thew an interception and lost a fumble in addition to passing for 140 yards on 15 of 27 passing. The 49ers' season will be over soon as they trail 41-6 with just under seven minutes left to play.
The Seahawks starting quarterback finished the night with 124 yards passing and a touchdown on 12 of 17 passing. An efficient night in what will be his first playoff win.
The 49ers are simply overwhelmed in all facets tonight. Seahawks Pro Bowl edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence strip-sacked Brock Purdy, and Seattle safety Nick Emmanwori recovered for the Seahawks' third takeaway of the night. That will just about do it with the Seahawks leading by 35 points, 41-6, with 9:12 left to play.
Seattle now leads by five touchdowns, 41-6, with 12:43 left to play. The Seahawks can begin their preparations to host the NFC title game on Jan. 25 against the Los Angeles Rams vs. Chicago Bears winner. Walker just joined Shaun Alexander as the only Seahawks with at least three rushing touchdowns in a playoff game.
Three 49ers drives in the third quarter have come and gone, and San Francisco has yet to score in the second half. Two turnovers on downs and an interception make up their end results in the third quarter. If this were Madden, Kyle Shanahan would be getting asked if he would like to leave the game now. The Seahawks lead 34-6, and they have the football at the 49ers' 37 with 41 seconds left in the third quarter.
Walker exploded down the left side of the field for a 15-yard touchdown. The 49ers appear to be running in quicksand given the combination of their injuries and playing on a short week. Plus, Seattle is firing on all cylinders. Seattle leads San Francisco 34-6 with 2:23 left in the third quarter.
Jones forced 49ers tight end Jake Tonges to fumble in the first half, and he picked off Purdy with 6:18 left in the third quarter. The Seahawks take over at the 49ers' 47 with 6:09 left in the third up 21 points, 27-6.
Seattle continues to pile up, now up 21 points after a 24-yard field goal. They lead 27-6
Williams sacked Purdy for a loss of 14 on fourth-and-2 at the Seahawks 44 on a play in which Purdy had absolutely no chance. The Seahawks' start their first drive of the second half in opponent territory on the 49ers' 42. Seattle leads 24-6 with 12:06 left in the third quarter.
Walker took the handoff to the right before cutting all the back to the left side of the field. After breaking a tackle, he waltzed into the end zone for the seven-yard score. The Seahawks' lead is up to 18, 24-6, with 31 seconds left before halftime.
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall's third-and-6 catch was overturned, so the 49ers settled for another field goal from kicker Eddie Pineiro, this time from 56 yards out. The Seahawks lead 17-6 with 4:32 left in the opening half.
San Francisco picked up three first downs, but they couldn't advance further than the Seahawks' 22. They're now on the board after a 40-yard made field goal.
Seattle leads 17-3 with 11:58 left in the first half.
Darnold rolled left off of the play-action handoff, and he threw an absolute dart to Smith-Njigba to put Seattle up 17-0 with 1:50 left to play in the first quarter.
The Seattle Seahawks are doing everything they can to put this game out of reach by halftime. A kickoff return touchdown to open the game followed by consecutive stops of the 49ers' offense has them in an ideal spot. Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones forced a fumble by 49ers tight end Jake Tonges, and Seahawks safety Julian Love jumped on the loose ball for the takeaway.
Seattle leads 10-0 with 4:24 left in the first quarter.
The Seattle Seahawks had all the momentum after Rashid Shaheed's kickoff touchdown, and forcing a turnover on downs on the 49ers' first drive. However, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters just made a massive play to stuff Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet for a loss of two on third-and-2 from the 13 to force Seattle into a field goal. Four-point swing on that play right there.
Seahawks lead 10-0 with 5:06 left to play in the first quarter.
Before Seattle's late timeout blew the 49ers' initial fourth-and-1 play dead, Brock Purdy hit Jauan Jennings for a first down. After the timeout, an option run play between fullback Kyle Juszcyk and running back Christian McCaffrey went backwards for a loss of three. Huge early break for the host Seahawks as they lead 7-0 with 11:16 left in the first quarter. Sam Darnold and the Seattle offense will take the field for the first time next.
Shaheed earned Pro Bowl honors as the NFC's return man, and he showed why with his game-opening 95-yard kickoff return touchdown. All it took was one broken tackle, and then Shaheed was gone up the middle of the field. Seattle is up 7-0 just 13 seconds into the game.
San Francisco's offense has been dramatically different depending on the status of wide receiver Rick Pearsall. They're 8-1 while averaging 27.3 points per game with Pearsall playing this season and just 5-4 while averaging 23.8 points per game without him this season. Pearsall totaled 108 yards receiving in the 49ers' Week 1 win at the Seahawks, and he didn't play in the Week 18 loss because of a knee injury. Tonight will be Pearsall's first game since Week 17 against the Chicago Bears.
| 49ers with and without Ricky Pearsall, This season | With | Without |
|---|---|---|
W-L | 8-1 | 5-4 |
PPG | 27.3 | 23.8 |
Total YPG | 363.4 | 340.4 |
* 108 receiving yards in Week 1 at Seahawks (Did not play in Week 18 loss)
McCaffrey has scored a touchdown from scrimmage in all eight career playoff games, the longest such streak to start an NFL career. He can tie Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas tonight for the most consecutive playoff games (9) with a scrimmage touchdown in NFL history.
| Most consecutive playoff games with a scrimmage TD, NFL history | Consecutive games with scrimmage TD |
|---|---|
Thurman Thomas | 9 |
Christian McCaffrey | 8* |
Emmitt Smith | 8 |
John Stallworth | 8 |
Purdy is one of six quarterbacks all-time with multiple playoff wins down five or more points entering the four quarter. The others are Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson and Randall Cunningham. Purdy's four game-winning drives in his first four seasons are tied for the most in playoff history with Brady and Wilson.
| Most game-winning drives in first four seasons, NFL playoff history | Game-winning drives |
|---|---|
Brock Purdy | 4* |
Russell Wilson | 4 |
Tom Brady | 4 |
* 49ers' postseason record
Seattle wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,793, the eighth-most in a single season in NFL history. That production also stands as the second-most receiving yards at the age of 23 or younger in a season in NFL history. He averaged the most receiving yards per team pass attempt (3.7) by any player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966). Smith-Njigba accounted for the highest percentage of team receiving yards (44.1%) since Brandon Marshall in 2012.
| Most receiving yards in a season in NFL history, age 23 season | Receiving Yards |
|---|---|
MIN Justin Jefferson (2022) | 1,809 |
SEA Jaxon Smith-Njigba (2025) | 1,793 |
STL Isaac Bruce (1995 | 1,781 |
| Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator/head coach | Scoring defense rank |
|---|---|
2022 Ravens (DC) | 3rd |
2023 Ravens (DC) | 1st |
2024 Seahawks (HC) | T-11th |
2025 Seahawks (HC) | 1st |
Seattle has the NFL's No. 1 scoring defense for the first time since doing so in four consecutive seasons from 2012 to 2015 with the "Legion of Boom." They've allowed just 10 points per game in their two matchups with the 49ers this season, fewer than any other of San Francisco's opponents this season.
| Seahawks defense this season | NFL ranks | |
|---|---|---|
PPG allowed | 17.2 | 1st |
Yards per play allowed | 4.6 | 2nd |
Yards per rush | 3.7 | 1st |
Third down conversion rate allowed | 32.1% | 1st |
Wide Ricky Pearsall (knee) is back after practicing in a limited fashion all week. Pearsall last played in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears. Safety Ji'Ayir Brown (hamstring) didn't practice all week, and he was ruled out.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold suffered an oblique injury in practice this week, but he will play through it on Saturday night against the San Francisco 49ers.
As the NFC's No. 1 seed, DraftKings currently lists the Seattle Seahawks as the Super Bowl favorites (+275). Seattle is the NFC's No. 1 seed for the fourth time in team history, and they made the Super Bowl
| No. 1 seed in Seahawks history | Season result |
|---|---|
2025 | ? |
| 2014 | Lost Super Bowl |
2013 | Won Super Bowl |
2005 | Lost Super Bowl |
Seattle had Kyle Shanahan's offense in the torture chamber in their 13-3 victory in Week 18.
| 49rs offense in Week 18 vs. Seahawks | Rank under Shanahan, including postseason | |
|---|---|---|
Points | 3 | T-fewest |
Total yards | 173 | 2nd-fewest |
First downs | 9 | Fewest |
