49ers' Season Ends in Blowout Loss - and a Tunnel Walk That Won’t Be Forgotten
The San Francisco 49ers walked into Lumen Field with swagger, music, and energy - but they left with nothing but questions and a bruising 41-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round.
Before a single snap, the 49ers made a statement - or at least tried to. A pregame tunnel entrance that featured dancing, finger guns, and visible bravado quickly made the rounds on social media.
But the mood flipped almost instantly. Just 13 seconds into the game, Seattle’s Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff 95 yards to the house, and from there, the Seahawks never looked back.
It was a gut punch that set the tone for what became a one-sided playoff beatdown.
A Rough Night from the Start
San Francisco was already short-handed, missing key playmakers in George Kittle, Fred Warner, and Nick Bosa. But even with those absences, few expected the offense to be this flat.
The 49ers never reached the end zone, managing only two field goals from Eddy Piñeiro. That was it - six points in a playoff game with everything on the line.
Quarterback Brock Purdy struggled to find rhythm against a relentless Seahawks pass rush. He finished with 140 yards through the air, threw one interception, and lost a fumble.
The offensive line couldn’t protect him, the receivers couldn’t get separation, and the run game never got going. It was a complete offensive breakdown.
Frustration Boils Over
As the game slipped away, emotions did too. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was caught on camera delivering a headbutt to Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the third quarter. With Seattle already up 27-6, the play reeked of frustration, and it only added to the 49ers’ unraveling on the national stage.
Social Media Pounces
The internet wasted no time. That tunnel entrance - which looked like a team ready to storm into battle - quickly became the centerpiece of the postgame mockery.
Clips of players dancing and celebrating pregame were reposted with captions like, *“All this just to come out and kick 2 field goals.” *
Even players from around the league chimed in. Green Bay’s Micah Parsons couldn’t resist poking fun at backup quarterback Mac Jones, who was seen in the video firing off finger guns toward the camera. “Mac at the 27 mark has me in tears,” Parsons wrote, adding laughing emojis to punctuate the point.
It wasn’t just the loss that stung - it was the way it all unfolded. The hype, the theatrics, and then the collapse. Football has a way of humbling teams, and on Saturday night, the 49ers got a full dose.
Looking Ahead
Now, San Francisco heads into a long offseason with plenty to think about. Injuries played a role, no doubt, but the lack of execution across the board was glaring. From the opening kickoff to the final whistle, the Seahawks dominated every phase of the game.
Meanwhile, Seattle moves on to host the NFC Championship Game next Sunday. They’ll face either the Chicago Bears or the Los Angeles Rams, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
For the 49ers, the tunnel walk might have been meant to set the tone - instead, it became a symbol of a season that ended with more flash than fight.