It seemed only fitting that the NFC West be decided in the final week of the NFL season in a bitter grudge match between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
Much like their first meeting in Week 1 — a 17-13 49ers’ win — Saturday night’s tilt was a low-scoring affair.
Unlike the first game, it was Seattle’s defense that put the clamps on San Francisco’s offense. The Seahawks held the 49ers to just 176 yards of total offense, and limited star running back Christian McCaffrey to just 69 yards rushing.
The Seahawks walked out of Levi’s Stadium with a 13-3 win, ending the 49ers’ six-game win streak, locking up the division and Clinching the No. 1 seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Sam Darnold Has a Message for Brock Purdy
GettySan Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy vs. the Seattle Seahawks
In the first meeting in the season opener, Brock Purdy outplayed Sam Darnold.
The $265 million quarterback threw for 277 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, while Darnold totaled just 150 yards passing.
But the roles were reversed in Week 18. Darnold was 20 of 26 for 198 yards in a winning effort, while Purdy was limited to 127 yards with an interception.
It’s clear the 49ers and Seahawks don’t like one another, but that doesn’t mean they don’t respect each other, as evidenced by what Darnold told Purdy after Saturday’s game ended.
“See you in a couple of weeks,” Darnold boldly stated, referencing playing the 49ers a third time in the postseason.
The 49ers and Seahawks have only faced off in the playoffs twice — both in the last 12 years.
The last postseason meeting was a 41-23 49ers’ victory back in 2022 — Purdy’s first playoff start. He threw for 332 yards, 3 touchdowns, and zero interceptions with a 131.5 passer rating.
Their other meeting came back in 2013 — a 23-17 Seahawks win.
49ers Embracing Tough Playoff Road
While losing to a division rival is disappointing, it pales in comparison of losing out on home-field advantage in the postseason and having to play on the road.
San Francisco will be the No. 5 seed if the Los Angeles Rams lose to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday (they’re currently leading 16-13 with 3:51 left in the third quarter), or the No. 6 seed if L.A. wins.
If the 49ers are the 5 seed, they’ll travel to Carolina to play the Panthers. If they’re the 6 seed, they’ll travel to Philadelphia to play the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles — the much tougher matchup of the two.
Regardless of who SF’s wild-card opponent is, it’s clear the team is embracing the challenge of playing the road warrior role.
“It is what it is,” head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters of playing on the road in the playoffs. “Now we’ve got to do it the hard way. We’ll embrace the s— out of doing it the hard way.”
Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle echoed Shanahan’s sentiment.
“We have a whole new season ahead of us,” Kittle stated. “It is what it is. We just got to go to work. We have a week. Hopefully, we get Trent back. That’s super helpful. He’s a really good football player. Maybe Ricky. That’s horrible. I hate that; I hate losing. I hate losing to the Seahawks. But hey, we’re going to play football next week. And whoever it is, whenever what happens.”
Sam Darnold Sends Clear Message to Brock Purdy After Seahawks Beat 49ers