The Seattle Seahawks Dominate the Trenches to Beat the 49ers

Punchless in Santa Clara

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) rushes the ball against San Francisco 49ers safety Ji'ayir Brown (27) during the second half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

TKO. Seattle knocked the Niners to the canvas, and San Francisco stayed down all night as the Seahawks captured the NFC 1 seed with a no doubt about it 13-3 win.

Seattle dominated the game physically, and the Niners had no answer. Out-coached and outplayed. Mike Macdonald has Kyle Shanahan’s number, and that is an ominous development.

The playoff scenarios

If the Rams win, and they play Arizona, the Niners are locked into the 6 seed. Only if the Rams lose would the Niners be the 5 seed and play at the NFC South champion.

Philadelphia plays Washington and should win easily. If the Eagles win and Detroit beats the Bears, the Niners go to Chicago. If the Eagles and Bears win, the Niners go to Philly. If the Eagles lose, the Niners go to Philly.

Tampa wins the NFC South if New Orleans beats Atlanta. Carolina wins the division if Atlanta beats the Saints.

If all of the favorites win, the Niners go to Philadelphia next week in the wild card round.

So now what?

The Niners were helpless against the Seattle offensive line, as the Seahawk backs averaged 4.6 yards before contact. On some plays, it seems the Niners were blocked into the Levi’s parking lot. San Francisco struggled to shed blocks, and the linebackers took poor pursuit angles.

The defense rose up to make some solid plays situationally, but Seattle had its way between the 20s. Seattle gave away points on two missed field goals but controlled the game throughout.

On offense, Kyle Shanahan reverted to his strategy in the opener, throwing short, but this time the Niners lost in space and didn’t create YAC. Seattle was also successful in forcing Brock Purdy into spots. Only when Purdy rolled and improvised did the Niners find success.

The big picture

When Mike Madcdonald led the Baltimore defense to four picks of Brock Purdy on Christmas night 2023, the league took notice. Seattle hired him with the specific goal of stopping Kyle Shanahan. Two seasons later, Macdonald has the pieces he needs, and this game just proved it. The Niners scored three points. Mission accomplished.

The ball is now in the Niners' court. How do you build a team that beats the Seattle defense, stops their run game, and can limit Jaxon Smith-Njigba? The off-season needs to make moves with Seattle in mind, approaching it with the same single focus as the Hawks did. How do we beat Mike Macdonald?

Looking ahead

If the Niners travel to Philly, they will be facing a similar team to the one that just manhandled them on both lines. The Eagles have a dominant offensive line, a dominant back, and a top ranked defense.

After playing three games in 13 days, this was a tired Niners team that looked it. They need to rest and recover for the playoffs and will hopefully look much fresher next week, potentially with Trent Williams back.

The Niners know how to play Jalen Hurts, force him wide and focus coverage on the near sideline. Playing Saquon Barkley is a different story; playing this defense is another challenge.

It may be that the Niners' amazing story of resilience unraveled in Santa Clara when they gave up the backbreaking first on a 3rd and 17 run. The final chapter may be written in Philadelphia, but this season has seen this team rally, and we’ll see if they have some magic left in them next week.