The Seahawks showed a full arsenal in a blowout win over the 49ers

SEATTLE — Sam Darnold’s oblique injury was the biggest story heading into Seattle’s divisional game with the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, giving the Seahawks and their fans a scare after the Pro Bowl quarterback left practice two days earlier.

It soon became an afterthought.

Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, starting a three-quarter scoring drive by the Seahawks in a 41-6 victory over their division rival at Lumen Field. They jumped out to a 17-0 lead and never looked back as their high-scoring defense dominated San Francisco for the second straight game while Kenneth Walker III and their emerging running game led the way offensively.

And Darnold looked good.

“That’s probably the most consistent game we’ve played so far,” said coach Mike Macdonald, whose team will host either the Chicago Bears or the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.

The Seahawks handed the 49ers their worst loss of the Kyle Shanahan era, which began in 2017. For Macdonald, who replaced Pete Carroll in 2024, it was the third-largest victory by a head coach in his playoff debut in NFL history, according to ESPN Research.

It came in front of a raucous crowd, as the Seahawks held their first playoff game with fans in the stands in nine years. Lumen Field was already buzzing when Shaheed sent it into chaos by returning the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.

“A really good team won with the first rush,” said Darnold, who earned the first playoff victory of his eight-year career. “The first game, [Shaheed] to take it home, that was special. To hear that stadium rocking the way it was tonight, it’s unbelievable, man. 12 came out. It was fun. Our defense did their thing. And as an offense, again, controlling the ball, I feel like that was big for us all game and finishing in the red zone. “

When asked about his level of pain, Darnold said simply, “I felt great.

Darnold’s injury occurred when he threw while in the air earlier Thursday. He left practice for treatment after he “felt a little something” on his left side, saying it didn’t make sense to push it.

Darnold and Macdonald both expressed confidence that he will play despite his questionable name, though the coach acknowledged that his quarterback might be limited.

Darnold’s decision not to come onto the field for the pregame scrimmage added to the song. He said he instead ducked into the locker room to avoid a double warm-up.

Once the game started, he didn’t seem affected by the injury, moving well and throwing with his usual zip. His only touchdown pass came on a play in the first quarter where he rolled left and hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the end zone.

“I felt good, and if I got hurt, I think you all would know about it,” he said. “So, I felt really good the whole game. And any hits I got I didn’t get on that offense.”

Darnold finished 12-of-17 for 124 yards and nothing changed before Drew Lock replaced him with nine minutes left. He received an additional $500,000 in incentives for the win.

“Very good,” Macdonald said of his quarterback’s performance. “There are a few games that I think are too early [it took him] getting into the swing of things. But I say ‘treat’ the game as a high powered compliment. Just throwing it at the right time, taking care of the ball, making plays where we need to. I think there will be fireworks there that we can probably get to. But shoot, I thought he did a lot of things that helped us a lot.”

Darnold said the injury is “absolutely” something he will have to deal with until the end of the playoffs.

With how well Seattle’s defense is playing, their run could return to Levi’s Stadium for Super Bowl LX.

When the Seahawks played San Francisco in that building in Week 18, they held what was then the NFL’s hottest offense to a field goal. They were equally dominant in the playoffs, as Macdonald’s unit forced three fumbles and three triples on downs, making it eight consecutive quarters in which they kept Purdy and the 49ers out of the end zone.

Linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who made the Second Team All-Pro, had two sacks — a forced fumble in the first quarter and Purdy’s interception in the third. He struggled earlier in the week and, as Macdonald put it, “wasn’t in the best shape” on Wednesday.

“So for him to get up fast, ready to play, the guys followed his lead,” Macdonald said. “Two very good games that will really change the course of the game with those steps being taken.”

The Seahawks pressured Purdy on 19 of his 33 dropbacks (58%). According to ESPN Research, that was the second-highest pressure and most pressures Purdy has faced in a game in his career. He completed 6 of 14 attempts for 74 yards, an interception, two sacks and a lost fumble under pressure.

Darnold, on the other hand, didn’t turn the ball over after leading all players with 20 receptions in the regular season. He didn’t have to force the story of how well his defense and running game are playing.

After struggling to mount a consistent attack for most of the regular season, that part of Klint Kubiak’s offense is on the way. Seattle has rushed for at least 160 yards in four straight games, including 175 on Saturday.

Walker rushed for 116 yards on 19 attempts, leading as Zach Charbonnet missed the second half with a knee injury. All three of his touchdowns, as well as 110 yards for Seattle, came from scrimmages.

“It’s about everybody,” Macdonald said of Seattle’s running game. “Our coaches deserve a lot of credit. Obviously K9 had a great game. A lot of it comes from the wide area. That’s something we’ve had to work on all year and that’s where we hang our hat, so it’s good to see it come to life.”

Macdonald said he was “optimistic” about Charbonnet, adding: “We have to visualize it and so on, but the early indications are hopefully right.”

Left tackle Charles Cross also suffered a foot injury in the third quarter. Macdonald said they pulled him “cautiously” with the win, adding: “But we’ll still have to fix his foot, so I have no idea what that’s going to look like.”

Despite those injuries and Darnold, the Seahawks matched their 43-8 victory in Super Bowl XLVIII in the club’s biggest playoff victory. One more win at home next week will give them a shot at the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.

“It was a lot of luck, man,” Macdonald said. “In the locker room, we are very happy, we are proud of the effort, and the guys understand that there is still a mission at hand. We have another week here to take care of business every day, and that is the focus. We are proud of the team. We will celebrate today, the guys will go out tomorrow and come back on Monday.”