The Seattle Seahawks dominated the San Francisco 49ers, winning 41-6 in the divisional round on Jan. 17 at Lumen Field. Next, the Seahawks will wait to learn their opponent for the NFC title game.
Ahead of this game, Seahawks QB Sam Darnold dealt with an oblique injury. However, he was able to play, going 12-for-17 on his pass attempts for 124 passing yards and one touchdown.
Seattle didn’t need a whole lot from Darnold, as running back Kenneth Walker III was the star of the contest. Walker had 19 carries while registering 116 rushing yards and averaging 6.1 yards per carry for three touchdowns.
After the contest, Darnold spoke with FOX Sports to share his thoughts on playing through the injury and recording the win.
“It felt good,” Darnold said postgame. “Once I got going, I felt really good, and it was no problem… Our offensive line. First of all, our defense, our special teams, that opening kickoff was unbelievable. But our offensive line, the receivers, tight ends, everyone doing their job in the run game, obviously the running backs, and then the receivers stepping up in the passing game.”
Moreover, Darnold went into detail regarding the Seahawks’ defense, which again made life difficult for the 49ers.
“They’re unbelievable,” Darnold added. “They’ve stepped up every single game for us. Can’t say enough great things about that defense. It was tough in training camp, and OTAs is going up against them, but I’m glad they’re on our side.”
Richard Sherman Offers Bold Seahawks Take
Nonetheless, whether it’s the Chicago Bears or the Los Angeles Rams, former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman didn’t hold back his expectations for this Seattle team after beating the Niners.
“Can’t wait to do this [podcast] what a day!!!” Sherman wrote on X after the Seahawks’ win. “Seahawks dominate in all three phases of the game. Can’t see a scenario where they don’t end up in Santa Clara.”
Darnold also spoke about waiting to see which team the Seahawks will face in the NFC title game.
“We’ll see who we play,” Darnold said. “But no matter who it is, we got a great squad, a really resilient bunch, a group that I’d play football with any day of the week. So really proud to be a part of this team, this organization.”
Seahawks Are Super Bowl Favorites for Bill Simmons
Now that Seattle are one game away from the Super Bowl, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons recently sent a message to the Seahawks regarding their chances of winning a championship.
Simmons noted that, with playoff teams in both the AFC and the NFC, the Seahawks are the clear favorites. As a result, it would be a disappointment if Seattle were to fall short of winning the Super Bowl this season.
“If I’m Seattle and I’m their fans, this is it, man,” Simmons said in a video posted by The Ringer on Jan. 16. “This is now lined up to win the Super Bowl… They have the best unit of any [playoff team]. I sound like I’m a Seahawks fan. I just feel like this is laid out for them. They could easily fuck it up. But if I’m a Seahawks fan, ‘I’m like, holy sh–, we might be able to win the Super Bowl for real.’
“Our defense could just dominate the Niners this round. We go to the next round, we get the Rams at home, fine. And then we’re going to play Bo Nix in the Super Bowl, or this Pats team that has the youngest team in the league, or Josh Allen with no receivers. I like my chances against anybody.”
Sam Darnold Drops True Feelings on Seahawks Beating 49ers