The Seattle Seahawks advanced to the NFC championship game with a dominant 41-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, featuring an opening kickoff return for a touchdown, three rushing scores from Kenneth Walker III, and Sam Darnold's first career playoff win.
The Seattle Seahawks secured their spot in the NFC championship game by delivering a commanding 41-6 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers. The game kicked off with a bang as Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Running back Kenneth Walker III was a standout, rushing for three touchdowns, tying a franchise playoff record. Quarterback Sam Darnold, making his first playoff start for the Seahawks, completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, earning his first career playoff victory. The Seahawks' 'Dark Side' defense proved formidable, intercepting Brock Purdy and recovering two fumbles. The 49ers, who were without injured All-Pros George Kittle, Fred Warner, and Nick Bosa, struggled offensively and defensively, experiencing their second-most lopsided playoff loss in franchise history. Key injuries during the game included Christian McCaffrey and Jake Tonges for the 49ers, and Zach Charbonnet and Charles Cross for the Seahawks. Seattle now stands one victory away from their fourth Super Bowl appearance and will host either the Chicago Bears or the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.
