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Rapid Reactions: Seahawks Dominate 49ers To Advance To NFC Championship Game

The Seahawks Were Dominant In All Three Phases To Beat The 49ers 41-6, Punching Their Ticket To The NFC Championship Game

Jan 17, 2026 at 08:28 PM

John Boyle

Seahawks.com Senior Reporter

The Seahawks are back in the NFC championship game for the first time in 11 years thanks to Saturday night's dominant 41-6 win over the 49ers.

Returner Rasheed Shahid set the tone with a 95-yard kick return to open the game, then the offense and defense took over from there. Seattle's defense forced three turnovers, keeping the 49ers out of the end zone for the second straight game, and once again the run game, led by a three-touchdown performance by Kenneth Walker III, could not be stopped.

Here are six rapid reactions to Saturday night's win:

1. The Seahawks were dominant in all three phases.

Seattle's previous two games against the 49ers were low-scoring, tight games, and there was no reason to think a playoff meeting would be any different. But after Shaheed took the opening kick to the house, then the defense got to work getting big stops and turnovers, with the offense turning short fields into scores, the Seahawks were able to cruise to a lopsided victory over their NFC West rivals.

In addition to forcing three turnovers, forced fumbles by Ernest Jones IV and DeMarcus Lawrence and an interception by Jones, the Seahawks also had four fourth-down stops, and held the 49ers to just 236 yards and15 first downs.

Offensively, the Seahawks didn't need a ton out of their passing game, but Sam Darnold was efficient and played turnover free, while the running game, led by Kenneth Walker III, piled up 175 yards on 33 carries.

2. Rasheed Shaheed set the tone… again.

Rasheed Shahid has proven time and time again to be a fantastic trade acquisition, making big plays on offense and special teams ever since he arrived in Seattle.

And he did it again on Saturday, taking the game's opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to set the tone in what would end up being a dominant Seahawks victory. Shaheed, who also had 31-yard kick return, as well as a 30-yard rush, now has three return touchdown since joining the Seahawks, a 100-yard kick return to open the second half in a win over Atlanta, and a 58-yard punt return that helped spark Seattle's fourth-quarter comeback in their Week 16 win over the Rams.

3. Ernest Jones IV had two big takeaways.

Ernest Jones had a great regular season, earning second-team All-Pro honors as he became the first linebacker since 2013 to have at least 125 tackles and five interceptions. As good as his regular season was, however, Jones' Seahawks postseason debut might have been even better.

Jones, a midseason trade acquisition last season, helped turn Seattle's defense around after his arrival in 2024, so it's only fitting that he came through with a monster of a game now that he helped the Seahawks get to the postseason.

Jones was a central figure in yet another dominant performance by Seattle's defense, creating two turnovers, both of which gave the Seahawks short fields that they turned into touchdowns. Jones' first takeaway was a first-quarter forced fumble, ripping the ball away from tight end Jake Tonges, with Julian Love recovering the loose ball. Then in the third quarter, Jones intercepted Brock Purdy on a pass over the middle intended for tight end Luke Ferrell.

4. Kenneth Walker III and the run game were cooking again.

The Seahawks came into Saturday's game having rushed for over 160 yards in three straight games to close out the regular season, including a 180-yard rushing performance against the 49ers in Week 18.

And on Saturday the Seahawks kicked off their postseason run with another strong rushing performance, finishing the day with 175 yards on 33 carries. The only bad news was that Zach Charbonnet left the game with a second-quarter knee injury, but Kenneth Walker III was up to the task of carrying the load the rest of the way, finishing with 116 yards on 19 carries, including three touchdowns.

Walker became the first Seahawk with 100 rushing yards in a postseason game since Thomas Rawls in a wild card win over the Lions nine seasons ago, and only the second Seahawks with three rushing touchdowns in a playoff game, joining Shaun Alexander.

5. Sam Darnold's oblique seemed to be fine.

There was concern about Sam Darnold's oblique injury, which happened in Thursday's practice, but in the end, the only reason the Seahawks turned to backup Drew Lock was because they built such a big lead and were able to pull several starters.

Darnold didn't have to do a ton thanks to the overall dominant effort, but he was accurate and efficient, completing 12 of 17 attempts for 124 yards, including a touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, giving him a 110.0 passer rating. Perhaps most significantly, Darnold and the offense were turnover free for the second straight game.

6. Cooper Kupp had one of his best games as a Seahawk.

Cooper Kupp has come through over and over again when called upon this season, but with Jaxon Smith-Njigba having an all-world season, and with the Seahawks running the ball as frequently as they did all year, Kupp didn't get the volume of targets that he did throughout his career with the Rams.

In his first playoff game as a Seahawks, however, the veteran receiver showed he can still be a go-to target, leading the Seahawks in both receptions (five) and receiving yards (60) on a day when the Seahawks didn't throw the ball a ton. Kupp also was key to a big rushing day, as he always is, including blocks that helped spring two of Walker's touchdown runs.