3 stats show how dominant Seahawks defense was vs 49ers

There should be no reason to ever doubt the defense of the Seattle Seahawks (14-3) as long as head coach Mike Macdonald has his hands on the building and schemes. On Saturday, the Seahawks dismantled one of the hottest offenses in the league against the San Francisco 49ers in a 13-3 win on the road.

In the six games before Saturday, the 49ers averaged 39 points per game behind the resurgence of quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Christian McCaffrey, and tight end George Kittle. As a result, many experts felt the 49ers would outscore the Seahawks in a potential shootout, but Seattle proved it is a Super Bowl-ready team.

There are many ways to show how dominant the Seahawks really were.

Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV makes a tackle in the Week 18 win over the San Francisco 49ers. — Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) tackles San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) during the first half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Christian McCaffrey shut down to lowest impact game since second year in league

One of the keys to the game for the Seahawks defensively was for them to shut down any potential impact from the 49ers' dynamic running back, Christian McCaffrey. The Seahawks did that and more with their aggressive defensive line, linebackers, and active secondary.

McCaffrey was held to only 23 yards on eight carries, along with six receptions for 34 yards. His rushing impact is the lowest he has accounted for since 2018, his second year in the league, when he was with the struggling Carolina Panthers.

The Seahawks wanted to make sure they weren’t letting McCaffrey beat them with missed tackles or busted coverages. Seattle attacked McCaffrey constantly like a swarm of angry, smart bees. Macdonald has been able to suppress McCaffrey several times with Seattle and as a defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, but this performance takes the cake.

Brock Purdy makes history……for the wrong reason

Purdy was coming into this game as one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league. He was the seventh player in the league to account for five or more touchdowns (passing and rushing) in back-to-back games. Purdy, however, is the first player of that set to not account for a touchdown in the follow-up game.

He was able to find some good passes to out players in short-yardage situations like McCaffrey, wide receiver Jauan Jennings, and Kittle. His longest pass was for 20 yards to Kittle as the Seahawks’ defense was all over the field and rarely made mistakes. At times when the 49ers’ offensive line was keeping the pocket, Purdy couldn’t deliver.

Purdy finished the game completing 19-of-27 of his passes for 127 yards, an interception, a QBR of 23, and a passer rating of 64.9. It’s easily one of his worst games in the last few years in a season where Purdy is second in the league in QBR (73.5).

49ers points scored last 5 games:

3
42
48
37
26

Saturday's game was their first all season without a TD. pic.twitter.com/zHzyAgvJJI
January 4, 2026
Hold 49ers to no touchdown for the first time this season
The Seahawks have accounted for some elite performances with their elite, but Saturday’s win might be one of the best. The Seahawks took on an explosive and dynamic 49ers’ offense that averaged just short of 40 points in the last six games and held them down to no touchdowns for the first time this season.
The last time San Francisco was held to no touchdowns in a game was on December 12, 2024, when the Los Angeles Rams defeated them 12-6 in the infamous field goal only game. The 49ers had at least one late in the third quarter of their 26-15 Week 8 road loss to the Houston Texans.
Seattle held San Francisco to only 173 total yards, a third-down conversion rate of 2-of-9, and forced a turnover in the 49ers’ only trip in the red zone. It isn’t uncommon for the 49ers to be in a defensive battle, but it is uncommon for them not to find the end zone.
More Seahawks on SI stories
Seattle Seahawks studs & duds from a massive win over the 49ers
Raiders are likely open to moving the Seahawks’ ideal trade target
Seahawks split between offense, defense in 2026 NFL mock draft 1.0
One stat shows Seattle defense well-equipped for postseason success