Seahawks Dominate
- Updated: January 18, 2026
The Seattle Seahawks hadn’t hosted a playoff game in front of their fans in nearly a decade. It took them only a few seconds Saturday night to give the roaring 12s something to celebrate.
Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, and top-seeded Seattle never let up, routing the sixth-seeded San Francisco 49ers 41-6 in an NFC divisional-round game. The Seahawks will host the winner of Sunday’s matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game next Sunday. Seattle hasn’t been in a conference title game since advancing to back-to-back Super Bowls in the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
Winning in rowdy Lumen Field was already going to be a tough test for the undermanned 49ers, whose season-long injury issues continued last weekend, when star tight end George Kittle tore his Achilles tendon. It got worse Saturday: Running back Christian McCaffrey suffered a stinger, and Jake Tonges, Kittle’s replacement, hurt his foot. Both missed part of the second half.
It might not have mattered against the Seahawks. Coach Mike Macdonald’s defense allowed the fewest points in the league during the regular season, the first time the Seahawks had done that since their Legion of Boom days. They seemed to get better as the season went on, nearly blanking these same 49ers, 13-3, in a regular-season finale that gave Seattle a season-closing seven-game win streak and the top seed in the NFC.
The 49ers’ offense fared slightly better Saturday, but their first four drives resulted in a turnover on downs, fumble and two field goals. They trailed 17-0 after the first quarter and went on to suffer their worst loss in coach Kyle Shanahan’s nine-year tenure.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, who was listed as questionable with an oblique injury after feeling discomfort during Thursday’s practice, started the game but wasn’t asked to do much, completing 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers. He made way for backup Drew Lock with the Seahawks up by 35 with 9:12 to play.
Seattle suffered two potentially problematic injuries of its own. Running back Zach Charbonnet, who led the Seahawks with 12 touchdowns in the regular season, left with a knee injury. Left tackle Charles Cross injured his foot in the third quarter. Both were ruled questionable and did not return. With Charbonnet absent, Kenneth Walker III finished with 19 carries for 116 yards and three touchdowns.
The Seahawks and Rams played two thrilling games in the regular season: Los Angeles won 21-19 at home in Week 11, and the Seahawks charged back for a 38-37 overtime win in one of the best games of the regular season in Week 16. Seattle hasn’t played the Bears since beating them 6-3 late in the 2024 season.
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