The Seahawks' 41-6 rout of the rival San Francisco 49ers was a complete team win. They owned every phase of the game, and the running attack continued to be an essential element of the success, as it was late in the regular season. Kenneth Walker III delivered an outstanding performance in his second career playoff game.

Earlier this week, we shared the greatest games in Seahawks playoff history, and Saturday night's convincing victory will certainly be added to the list. When anyone recalls or retells the story of the postseason blowout win over a prime foe, they will think of Kenneth Walker III authoring one of the most memorable rushing performances in franchise lore.

On 19 rushing attempts, Walker amassed 116 rushing yards, and even more impressively, he tied a Seahawks single-game playoff record with his three rushing touchdowns. The only other Seahawks player to ever register three touchdowns in a postseason game was Shaun Alexander, who posted three TDs against the Green Bay Packers in 2004. Walker considered the feat to be a proud accomplishment for the entire offense.

"First and foremost, it means a lot," Walker said of tying Alexander's record. "We worked at it all season. I just got to give the credit to the O line. They had the holes there, and all I had to do was hit it."

The Seahawks finished with 175 rushing yards, continuing the strong play in that department. Late in the year, the rushing attack began to become more of a key factor in the team's wins. The offense has now posted 160-plus rushing yards in four consecutive games, including the playoff win on Saturday.

"Our coaches deserve a ton of credit," Mike Macdonald said. "K9 obviously had a great game. A lot of it is coming on wide zone, you know that's something that we've been having to work all year and that's where we hang our hat on, so it's great to see it come to life."

The running game not only eased pressure on Sam Darnold, it also drained the fuel out of the San Francisco defense. Being able to run so effectively also wobbled the 49ers defenders when they were pushed closer to the goal line, as the Seahawks converted four of six opportunities in the red zone.

"You can see it when they're breathing, they're tired. They're slow to get up. You can see it being demoralizing to them," Walker said.

In his postseason debut, Grey Zabel, who was a major part of the significant improvements on the offensive line this season, was thrilled with Walker's performance. He pointed out that when an RB such as Walker lights up the bright playoff stage, his blockers will revel in the job they did.

"When we have the dynamic backfield that we do, we've just got to give them a chance. You've got to move the line of scrimmage to give them a chance," Zabel said. "When he's running the ball like he (Kenneth Walker III) is, it's pretty incredible. It's super fun to block for a guy like that, we just love doing our job up front."

It appears that every facet of the team is blossoming at the right time. Many teams that earn a trip to the Super Bowl begin to play at their highest levels near and during the playoffs. The Seahawks' running game became even more productive late in the regular season and can now help boost them to an NFC Championship. Abe Lucas said he is not surprised that the RB department began to ascend more in recent weeks.

"It's just trusting the coaching and continuing to improve and get better. The idea that you have to make a gigantic leap from one week to the next is unrealistic, but credit to the guys that I play next to," Lucas said. "Like I've said all season, it's a slow process, and we just keep getting better at it."

AJ Barner echoed Lucas' sentiments about the ground game rounding into its best form when the games have so much more at stake.

"I feel people were questioning our run game, but now all things are working together at the perfect time," Barner said. Late in the year, it's extremely important."

Walker usually shares the rushing duties with Zach Charbonnet to form an ideal duo that complements each other well in terms of styles and helps to keep both RBs as fresh as possible. When Charbonnet suffered a knee injury in the second quarter, Walker took on a pure feature back role to ensure that the offense kept rolling.

As he got into a good rhythm, Walker rushed for his first TD of the game at 0:31 of the second quarter and added the two other TDs in the second half. Walker, who rushed for 75 yards in the second half, was able to take on the increased workload because of how he and the coaching staff prepare for games.

"It's really just details and execution," he said. "We go over it, we watch film, and then we go execute it at practice and it shows in the game."

After his final TD run, Walker threw the ball into the stands as his way of sharing a unforgettable night with the fans that backed the players so vociferously.

"Shoot, I would do it more, but I'll get fined for it," he said.

As the Seahawks attempt to win their fourth NFC Championship next week, Walker will be ready to operate as an engine of the offense again. Yet he also expects the 12s to bring more noise when the team hosts their first conference title game in 11 years.

"It always feels great to have a day like this. The 12s came out and supported us and that means a lot." he said. Walker also stressed that despite scoring a one-sided win in stellar fashion, the job for the Seahawks is not done as they eye a chance to win a second Lombardi Trophy.

"We got this win, we gotta focus on the next one, the next game, critique our mistakes," he said.

Hopefully, Charbonnet will be back on the field next week. The Seahawks also have good depth at RB. Cam Akers has considerable playoff experience, including winning a Super Bowl with the Rams. George Holani looked good in the preseason and got in some occasional work during the regular season, and at some point, may come off injured reserve. Macdonald said that they will monitor Charbonnet carefully in the days ahead.

"Optimistic with Charbs," Macdonald said. "We've got to get an image and stuff, but early indications are hopefully it's okay structurally. But you never know with these things."

What we do know for sure is that the Seahawks are looking like an absolute and formidable championship contender, and the RBs are one of the most dependable branches of the team. Rashid Shaheed, a top star of the game, also reminded opponents that he will be a threat at times when carrying the ball. One of his two rushing attempts was good for 30 yards. The Seahawks averaged 5.3 yards per carry as a team in the win.

As the Hawks look forward to the NFC Championship Game, Cross said the entire offense continuing to function in tune will lead to maintaining its current high level of play on the ground.

"It's taking advantage of the opportunities that are in front of us and just playing together,' Cross said. "I feel like the run game is more than just the O-Line, it's the tight ends, and receivers. We've just got to work together."