Niners trounced as Magical Playoff run ends in Seattle

NFC Divisional Playoff - As if two meetings between two of the NFL's best teams wasn't enough, a third match-up would be slated between the No. 6 seeded San Francisco 49ers and the No. 1 seeded Seattle Seahawks, two hated rivals hailing from the NFC West. With just one win separating these two teams in the regular season standings with a Week 18 regular season-finale being the deciding factor in who would have home field advantage throughout the playoffs, "what could've been" would be the theme for the San Francisco 49ers had they won that week 18 match-up against Seattle and had they had a healthy roster that was without not only three of their best players and emotional leaders, but three of the best players in the entire league in Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and George Kittle. But after reigning victorious the week prior on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round, the many holes left by those injured 49ers would prove to be too large and would take their toll against a stout Seahawks team that was out for blood from the first play on, while boasting the league's best defense.

Despite having won four straight games over the Seahawks at Lumen Field entering Saturday, the most in team history, the 49ers' lone playoff game in Seattle, however, ended in defeat with the infamous Richard Sherman-Michael Crabtree beef during the 2013 NFC Championship. While things between these two teams aren't quite as heated as they once were, there would be no love lost as both sides had their fair share of trash talk before game day. Unfortunately, the back-and-forth banter would end up being more eventful than the game itself considering how one-sided things became in the opening moments. From the opening-kickoff, the rout was on. With San Francisco winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, Seattle would make that a regrettable decision by pouncing on their opponent with a 95-yard kickoff returned for a touchdown by Rashid Shaheed. Shaheed, a trade deadline acquisition from the Saints known for his speed, entered Saturday's game as the only player in the NFL with a kickoff and a punt return for a touchdown this season. He would add a third which would give his team an early 7-0 advantage, sucking the air right out of the San Francisco sideline. 

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold who would make his second career playoff start, entered the day questionable to play after getting hurt during practice in the days leading up to Saturday with an oblique injury that Darnold admitted he had never dealt with before. But after Seattle jumped out to an early lead without having to take a single snap on offense thanks to the team's red-hot start on special-teams, coupled with a dominant performance from the team's defense, Darnold was able to take a backseat and play things safe, allowing his running back Kenneth Walker III to do most of the dirty work. Staring down an early 7-0 hole, Brock Purdy and the 49er offense would make it past midfield on their opening-drive, but a failed 4th and 1 attempt would leave them empty handed with a turnover on downs. After initially appearing to have converted a first down with a completed pass, the officials blew the play dead and awarded Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald with a very late timeout call that left everyone on the field and watching from home confused. Most notably was coach Shanahan who was absolutely livid with the officials. The referees wouldn't be the only ones getting an earful from the 49ers' head coach, however, as second-year cornerback Renardo Green was also seen being chewed out and temporarily benched for something that upset his coach. 

With San Francisco hoping for a more successful drive on their second possession, things again would go south as backup tight-end Jake Tonges who was the hero in the Week 1 win over Seattle, hauled in an 11-yard reception for a first down before fumbling the ball away and giving the Niners their second turnover in as many possessions. Unlike the turnover on downs which only led to a Jason Myers field goal, the Seattle offense was able to capitalize with a touchdown following the fumble as Darnold connected with his favorite target and number one receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba inside the end zone. By the end of the first quarter the 49ers were already down 17-0 and in need of a jolt quick. San Francisco's offense would finally begin to string together a few successful drives before the half but were unable to make it to the end zone and were forced to settle for field goals as kicker Eddy Pineiro converted on kicks of 40 and 56 yards to help his team chip away, now trailing 17-6. With the Niners getting the ball to open the second half, forcing a Seattle punt like they did on their previous possession would be a huge win to keep the game within striking distance. Sadly, that would not be the case as the Seahawks were able to run the ball right through the San Francisco defense, eventually scoring on a 7-yard touchdown from Walker III. 

The drive would come at a cost, however, as Seattle's dynamic-duo of Walker III and Zach Charbonnet took a hit when Charbonnet left the game with what coach Macdonald would later confirm to be a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee. Taking over possession to open the second half, the 49ers would have a tall task ahead having to claw back from being down 24-6 and having been manhandled thus far in all three facets of the game. Things would only continue to sour as San Francisco's first four possessions of the second half would all end in turnovers -- fumble, interception and two on downs. With a chance to get their All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner back the following week for the NFC Championship game, the 49ers who were playing inspired football in hopes of a return for their emotional leader and defensive captain, would unfortunately witness that magical ride come to an end. After a Jason Myers field goal, Kenneth Walker III would put the finishing touches on a dominant night by completing the hat-trick with his second and third rushing touchdowns of the evening as Seattle stormed their way to a one-sided 41-6 victory. In what would go down as the most lopsided loss for the 49ers in the Shanahan era, the Seahawks matched their largest playoff win in franchise history while advancing to the franchise's fifth conference championship and first since 2014. 

Sam Darnold recorded his first career playoff win by throwing for 124 yards and a touchdown against his former team, while Brock Purdy threw for 140 yards and an interception. Seattle's Cooper Kupp led all receivers with 60 yards on 5 receptions, besting both Jake Tonges and Christian McCaffrey who each had 5 receptions for 59 and 39 yards receiving, respectively. 

Looking ahead -  With San Francisco's remarkable Cinderella season now over, it's still a remarkable feat given the 49ers were able to advance this far and win as many games as they did in spite of all the challenges they endured and all the injuries they sustained. To be without their number one receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the entire season, have their two best defensive players go down for the season by Week 6, to missing their starting quarterback for eight weeks, to losing their future Hall of Fame tight-end and emotional leader in the first half of a playoff game that they would go on to win in, it would be quite difficult to deem this season a failure given all the pieces they were deprived of and lost along the way. Coach Shanahan should be the runaway favorite to win the Coach of the Year Award for those very reasons. 49ers left-tackle Trent Williams described it perfectly when explaining during the team's postgame interview that they were, "playing with house money" when describing the many obstacles they overcame in the face of adversity. With a franchise QB now locked in under contract for years to come and some promising young talent that should only grow and get better with the experience they gained this season, the future remains bright for this 49ers group. 

What they will now need to focus on is improving the roster to keep pace with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, two teams they share a division with that will now compete in the conference championship for a shot at a Super Bowl title. While the 49ers claimed early season wins over both teams this year, they went on to drop the rematch to each team and clearly have areas in which they need to improve on if they want to catch up and eventually surpass their division foes. For coach Kyle Shanahan who has enjoyed success against the competition in the NFC West for most of his tenure, appears to have a new thorn in his side as the Macdonald-led Seattle defense has now kept Shanahan's offense to under 7-points twice this year, something that had only been done one other team entering this season. The team will also be back to the drawing board and in search of yet another defensive coordinator as Robert Saleh is expected to take the head coaching job of the Tennessee Titans, leaving San Francisco searching for their fifth defensive coordinator in the Shanahan-John Lynch era. Early candidates to potentially land the vacant DC role include Brian Flores, Raheem Morris, Jim Schwartz, KJ Wright, and current 49ers assistant head coach Gus Bradley. 

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49ers Complete Wild Card Upset in Philly, Advance to Face Seattle

NFC Wild Card - After dropping the regular season-finale at home against the rival Seahawks in Week 18, the 49ers were forced to begin their quest to return home to Levi's Stadium, the site of Super Bowl LX, on the road where they would face off against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. Opening up as 3-point underdogs, head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers would witness those odds increase in favor of the Eagles to 5.5 come gameday. Having already been written off this season more times than fans can count given the plethora of injuries sustained to San Francisco's roster, those odds would mean nothing for a team that has looked adversity in the eye and has continued to prove doubters wrong virtually all season long. By Sunday the list of doubters would increase inside the media as the entire panel of ESPN's NFL Live chose the Eagles to prevail over the 49ers. As for the members of ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, only former-49er Alex Smith chose the Niners to win. Finally, Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw would be the odd man out on the NFL on FOX as the only one to, "have any guts" as he explained it while picking San Francisco. 

Returning to the field that was a house of horrors for the 49ers during the 2022 NFC Championship when the 49ers were routed 31-7 following an injury to quarterback Brock Purdy on the team's opening-drive, the Niners would look to avenge that playoff loss much like they did in the most recent meeting between these two teams when Purdy and company opened up a can with a 42-19 drubbing of Philly in 2023. With the 49ers and Eagles having combined to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl in 5 of the last 8 years, the two teams would fight for their right to hoist the Lombardi trophy once again, something the Niners have not done since the 1994 season. If they plan on making it that far this year, they'll need to do so with a few unfamiliar faces, notably at the linebacker position after the latest round of injuries claimed Tatum Bethune (torn groin) and Dee Winters (ankle) who were ruled out in the days leading up to game day with Bethune being placed on season-ending IR. Meanwhile, fellow linebacker Luke Gifford was a game-time decision while nursing a quadriceps injury and would be ruled out just before kickoff, leaving the 49ers even thinner at the position and giving way to newcomers Eric Kendricks and Garrett Wallow, both of whom were not even on the active roster a month ago. 

Entering the bout with a 7-2 record on the road this season, the 49ers would put that mark to the test against Eagles QB Jalen Hurts who entered Sunday's game with a perfect postseason record of 5-0 throughout his career at home. One of the biggest headlines entering the heavyweight matchup would be Kyle Shanahan's offense versus Vic Fangio's defense. Known for being one of the best play-callers in all of football, Shanahan's offense hasn't exactly fared well against Fangio's defenses over the years, with the offense scoring 15-points or fewer in all four meetings. Factor in the wind gusts of up to 35mph expected at kickoff and things would begin to favor the defense once again. But Shanahan and company would have other plans this time around and it showed right out the gates. 

With Philly winning the coin-toss and electing to differ, the 49ers would make an early statement on the second play of the game with a 61-yard pass from Purdy to receiver Demarcus Robinson. In his first season with the team, Robinson has had an extremely quiet campaign in San Francisco, but made his presence felt and his first big impact of the season on Sunday. Robinson would be awarded later in the drive as Purdy found him in the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown to give the Niners an early 7-0 advantage. The Eagles would be quick to respond, however, as the 49er defense was shredded by the run game much like they were the week prior against Seattle. Running back Saquon Barkley matched San Francisco with a big gain on Philadelphia's second play on offense with a 29-yard run. The big gain would help the Eagles on their march to the end zone as tight-end Dallas Goedert took a handoff on third down from the 1-yard line and punched it in for the score before kicker Jake Elliott missed the game-tying extra-point. From there, the 49ers would be held to back-to-back three-and-out punts and the Eagles would be stopped near mid-field on a 4th and 2 attempt. 

Trailing 7-6 to begin the second quarter, the Eagles would take their first lead of the game on a drive in which they marched 99-yards over 9-minutes as Hurts again found Goedert, this time with a touchdown pass on 4th and 2. San Francisco would cut the 13-7 deficit in half with an Eddy Pineiro field goal and nearly tied the game heading into halftime before a Brock Purdy fumble near the sideline prevented the 49ers from setting up a field goal try as time ran out. Both teams would struggle on offense in the third quarter, combining for three three-and-out punts and an interception from Purdy which allowed the Eagles to add to their lead with a second field goal from Jake Elliott to make it 16-10, Philadelphia. In need of a strong fourth quarter after being held score-less in the third, the 49ers would strike on the first play of the fourth thanks to a bit of trickery that included a touchdown pass from receiver Jauan Jennings to Christian McCaffrey who made an over-the-shoulder catch a la Willie Mays for the go-ahead score. 

With a chance to add to their 17-16 lead, Purdy would again succumb to an interception as Quinyon Mitchell came down with his second pick of the game. The 49er defense would again hold Philadelphia to a field goal, but the Eagles would still manage to take a 19-17 lead with 8-minutes remaining in regulation. Putting together their longest drive of the game in terms of time of possession (5:06), Purdy would cap things off with a touchdown pass on third down, finding McCaffrey inside the end zone as the Niners jumped back ahead 23-19 following a missed extra-point by Pineiro. With just under 3-minutes remaining and all three timeouts, the Eagles would be in a prime position to win the game with a last-minute touchdown, but Robert Saleh's defense would have other plans as Jalen Hurts failed to complete a pass on three consecutive plays from just outside the red zone as Eric Kendricks deflected a pass on 4th and 11 to seal the upset win for the 49ers. 

The 49ers would again lose one of their key players when All-Pro tight-end George Kittle went down midway thru the second quarter with a lower leg injury that required him to be carted off the field and into the visiting locker room where he would be visited by his wife and team owner Jed York. Feared to be something serious, coach Shanahan would confirm in his postgame presser that Kittle suffered a torn Achilles, adding yet another star player to San Francisco's ever-expanding list of injuries that one would have to think will eventually catch up to them. Kittle would hurt himself on his one and only reception of the game, a 6-yard gain. Demarcus Robinson would lead all receivers with a game-high 111 receiving yards on 6 receptions. Brock Purdy threw for 262 yards in the win to go along with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, while Jalen Hurts threw finished with 168 yards and a touchdown for Philly. Saquon Barkley rushed for 106 yards and caught 3 passes for another 25 yards, besting Christian McCaffrey's 48 yards of rushing, but not his 66 yards and 2 touchdown receptions thru the air. 

The 49ers received big time contributions on defense from Eric Kendricks and Garrett Wallow who shored up the linebacker position when they needed it most and combined for a total of 21 tackles on the night. Rookie safety Marques Sigle also stepped up big time when called upon after starter Ji'Ayir Brown went down with a hamstring injury late in the first half. Robert Saleh will likely need this trio and more to step up for the rest of the playoffs and they continue to get banged up. 

SF-SEA Preview:  The 49ers will now head back to the pacific northwest where they will pay a visit to the Emerald City to face off for a third time this season against their rival and top-seeded Seattle Seahawks in the NFC's Divisional Round Playoffs. With both teams claiming victories against each other on the road this season, the Niners will look to keep that trend alive as they try for their fifth consecutive win at Seattle, having turned the tide after going nearly a decade without a single road win in the daunting venue. In a close game that came down to the final possession, the 49ers escaped Lumen Field with a 17-13 win back in Week 1, before coming up short in the regular season-finale at Levi's Stadium less than two weeks ago. In the most recent matchup, a 13-3 loss, the 49ers were unable to muster up any offense and had no answer for Seattle's run game. With All-Pro left-tackle Trent Williams back in the fold after missing the Week 18 meeting against the Seahawks with a hamstring injury, the 49ers will look to keep quarterback Brock Purdy on his feet and free of duress, something they failed to do in the second match-up. 

San Francisco's offense will also need a more productive game from Christian McCaffrey than what he gave them in Week 18, combining for 57 yards on 8 carries and 6 receptions. Robert Saleh's defense will also need a much stronger performance in the final chapter of this trilogy after allowing a whopping 180-yards on the ground between the running back tandem of Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. If they can generate anything resembling a pass rush to rattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and force him to make mistakes, something he has done quite often to the tune of 14 interceptions on the year which ranks third-most in the NFL, that would be a major win for the SF defense. At home this season, Seattle has won 6 of 8 games in their home digs, while the Niners have maintained one of the better road records in the league at 8-2 this season. Oddsmakers, however, have the 49ers as 7.5-point underdogs. With Seattle coming off the first-round bye week, San Francisco on the other hand was screwed out of a full week of rest after playing the late game on Sunday. Instead of scheduling Bears-Rams for Saturday after both teams played the previous Saturday, the greedy and ratings-hungry NFL decided that made too much sense and chose to schedule SF-Seattle for Saturday instead. 

Expected to be a finalist for the Coach of the Year Award, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has at the very least reached the NFC Championship in all four of his team's playoff appearances since joining San Francisco's staff in 2017. With a shot at another NFC Championship on the line, this may be coach Shanahan's most impressive run yet given the multitude of injuries his team has sustained and the odds they continue to overcome. Kickoff is set for 5pm PST Saturday on FOX. 

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49ers Stymied in Season Finale Loss to Seattle, Will Face Eagles in Wild Card Round

Week 18 - After treating us to one of the most entertaining games of the NFL season a week ago when the (12-4) San Francisco 49ers went blow for blow against the Chicago Bears in a back-and-forth melee that included 80 total points scored and came down to the final play of the game, the regular season-finale against the rival (13-3) Seattle Seahawks would be rather uneventful in comparison. With the NFC Western Division title on the line as well as the NFC's No. 1 seed, the 49ers entered Saturday's game liking their chance of securing the division crown and home field advantage throughout the playoffs after having beaten Seattle on the road back in Week 1. However, the 49ers team that took the field on Saturday night would be a far cry from their Week 1 selves given the laundry list of injuries they've sustained since their season-opening win over the Seahawks. And by the time things officially got underway, San Francisco looked outmatched from start to finish, despite both teams entering the meeting riding six-game winning streaks. 

Winning the coin-toss and electing to defer would be about the extent of any winning Kyle Shanahan's team did on Saturday night as they were outclassed in all facets of the game. Sam Darnold and the Seattle offense came out guns blazing with a 13-play drive that ate up 7-minutes and 37-seconds of game time before being stood up inside the red zone at the 4-yard line. With only one play going for double-digit yards on the opening-drive for the Seahawks, the 49ers were able to force an incomplete pass on 4th and 4, resulting in the turnover on downs. The bend but don't break mentality would fire up the 49er sideline as well as the 49er Faithful in attendance, but it would be one of the few positives on the night for Robert Saleh's defense which struggled virtually all game long. The 7:37 time of possession on Seattle's opening-drive would mark their longest without scoring any points since 2018. Taking over on offense pinned back near their own goal line, the 49ers were held to a quick three and out punt which allowed for superb field position on Seattle's ensuing possession that was aided another 15-yards following a face mask penalty against the Niners on the return. 

Taking advantage of the short field, Seattle needed only three plays to find the end zone as running back Zach Charbonnet broke for a 27-yard rushing touchdown on 3rd and 2. With nothing to show for on San Francisco's first offensive possession, drive No. 2 failed to provide better results as Brock Purdy and company was held to their second three and out punt in as many possessions. After punting the ball only twice in the entire month of December, the 49er offense would match that total by the end of the first quarter on Saturday, ending San Francisco's team record of 27 straight quarters with a score. Despite no success whatsoever through the first quarter, Kyle Shanahan's team still found themselves in a prime position after Seattle marched 58-yards on their next possession but failed to connect on Josh Myers' 47-yard field goal that sailed wide-right. After going the whole first quarter without a single first down, the 49er offense was finally able to move the chains to start the second, but things would again spiral quickly as a call to go for it on 4th and 1 near mid-field ended in an incomplete pass from Purdy who again faced pressure and had to hurry his pass. Seattle's kicker would redeem himself on the Seahawks' next drive with a 45-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 ballgame. 

San Francisco would get on the scoreboard before the end of the first half with a 48-yard field goal from kicker Eddy Pineiro. Trailing by just a touchdown, the 49ers would get the ball to open the second half and appeared to be on track to score again, but Seattle's third sack of the night would ultimately lead to another punt as the absence of San Francisco's Pro Bowl left-tackle Trent Williams who sat out of Saturday's game while battling a hamstring injury began to come into focus. After being torched for a season-high 115 rushing yards allowed in the first half, the 49er defense held Seattle in check for the most part in the third quarter before an absolute meltdown on 3rd and 17. Perhaps no two plays would haunt the 49er defense greater than two of the first three plays on Seattle's next drive when Seahawks QB Sam Darnold was stepped on by his own teammate, resulting in a fumble that Niners defender Yetur Gross-Matos failed to come up with, eventually resulting in a 7-yard loss. After an incomplete pass, Seattle handed the ball to running back Kenneth Walker III who rushed 19-yards to pick up the first down, erasing the dreadful 3rd and 17 and prolonging the drive instead of punting the ball over to San Francisco in a one-score game. 

To make matters worse, Seattle would continue to march on the drive before having to settle for another Josh Myers field goal to take a 13-3 lead. Trailing by two-scores again, Purdy and the 49er offense began the fourth quarter by moving the ball with their most successful drive yet, marching 65-yards to give the offense their first trip to the red zone all night. But the 6-yard line would be as far as they'd make it as Purdy would have his pass tipped at the line of scrimmage, resulting in a wobbly ball in and out of the hands of Christian McCaffrey and into the arms of a Seattle defender who just so happened to be in the right place at the right time before stepping out of bounds. The turnover would prove to be crucial as any momentum the Niners thought they had captured went right out the window. Another long drive orchestrated by the Seahawks offense would chew up over 8-minutes of game time as precious time ticked away for a 49ers team hoping to stage a late comeback. Marching 94-yards the other way, Seattle kicker Josh Myers would miss his second field goal of the night when his 26-yard attempt hit the right upright to reinstill hope into the 49ers once again. Unfortunately, that hope would evaporate rather quickly as a quick turnover on downs ended any chance of a last-ditch effort from San Francisco. Making matters worse, Purdy reportedly suffered a "stinger" on the 49ers' final offensive play of the game after taking a hit to his left shoulder while being sandwiched between two Seattle defenders. 

Aside from Seattle's run game which tallied 180 total yards on the ground, neither team lit up the stat sheet on offense. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 97 yards while Zach Charbonnet added 74 yards and a touchdown, besting San Francisco's 53 total rushing yards. Christian McCaffrey who entered the week with a league-best 108 missed tackles wasn't able to break many tackles on Saturday while dealing with a back ailment and rushed for just 23 yards on 8 carries and another 34 yards receiving on 6 receptions, falling short of his second career 1,000-1,000 season for rushing and passing yards. Jauan Jennings led the 49ers with a team-high 35 yards on 4 receptions, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba finished with a game-high 84 yards receiving on 6 receptions. Sam Darnold threw for 198 yards compared to just 127 from Brock Purdy. But perhaps the most glaring stat of all came in the time of possession battle which Seattle dominated by producing long drives: 37:48 to just 22:12. 

Wild Card Preview: Following the loss to Seattle, the 49ers not only missed out on securing the NFC's No. 1 seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, but they'll now face the daunting task of having to win all of their games on the road if they want to partake in Super Bowl LX being played in their own house of Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. San Francisco's loss coupled with a win from the L.A. Rams meant the 49ers will enter the playoffs as the NFC's No. 6 seed and will face off against the No. 3 seed and defending champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round. With the 49ers opening up as 3.5 point underdogs against an Eagles team that went 11-6 in the regular season, Kyle Shanahan's team will hope to capture the same magic during a 42-19 win at Philly the last time these two teams met on December 2, 2023. San Francisco won handedly and was able to avenge their 31-7 loss in the NFC Championship the year prior after Brock Purdy was injured on the 49ers' first drive of the game. 

Philly's Lincoln Financial Field has become known for being one of the tougher venues to win in on the road during the playoffs, and no bad blood will be lost come gameday. Already facing a thin roster at the linebacker position, Robert Saleh's defense just got lot thinner after an MRI revealed on Monday that second-year linebacker Tatum Bethune will miss the playoffs after suffering a torn groin in Saturday's loss to Seattle. Already without All Pro linebacker Fred Warner who is hoping to make a return in the NFC title game if the 49ers can survive and advance that far, Dee Winters is currently listed as questionable after having to leave Saturday's game early with an ankle injury. The recently signed Eric Kendricks is expected to start and fill in in Bethune's absence. While Philly still boasts one of the best defenses in the NFC, their offense has struggled in the second half of the season despite plenty of weapons for quarterback Jalen Hurts to choose from. If the 49ers can muster up anything close to the type of offense they showcased in the two weeks prior to the season-finale, they should be able to stand a chance in pulling off the upset. And although Philly's offense has been stagnant for much of the second half, San Francisco's defense will need a much better outing than the one they had against Seattle. 

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