The Seattle Seahawks didn’t just beat the San Francisco 49ers in their Week 18 regular-season finale - they ran right through them. Racking up 180 rushing yards at 4.6 yards per carry, Seattle imposed its will on the ground in a 13-3 win that sent a clear message: this offense can punch you in the mouth when it needs to.
Now, with these two NFC West rivals set to clash again in the Divisional Round on Saturday night, the chess match begins. Will Seattle double down on its ground-and-pound identity? And more importantly, can San Francisco stop it?
Here’s where things get interesting.
The 49ers are expected to make stopping the run a top priority - as they should. But that could open up another dimension of Seattle’s offense that’s quietly been waiting to break out: the passing connection between quarterback Sam Darnold and breakout rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s leader in receiving yards this season.
“If the Niners load the box to stop the run - and I think they will - that opens up the middle of the field,” said Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL wideout Michael Bumpus on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. “And that’s where JSN does his damage.”
It’s a classic pick-your-poison scenario for San Francisco. Sell out to stop Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, and you risk leaving your secondary vulnerable against a quarterback who’s shown he can hit big plays when given time - especially when he’s targeting one of the league’s most dangerous route-runners in Smith-Njigba. Sit back in coverage, and Seattle’s backs have already proven they can churn out yards and control the tempo.
This wasn’t always the case for the Seahawks. Early in the season, the run game was inconsistent at best, and the offense leaned heavily on explosive plays through the air.
But starting around Week 10, things started to shift. According to RBSDM.com, Seattle ranked 11th in both yards per carry (4.5) and rushing EPA per attempt from Weeks 10 through 18 - a sign that the ground game wasn’t just improving, it was becoming a legitimate weapon.
That evolution came to a head in Week 18, when Walker and Charbonnet gashed a banged-up 49ers defense that was missing key pieces. San Francisco limited big plays through the air, but simply couldn’t contain Seattle’s rushing attack. That performance wasn’t a fluke - it was the result of a balanced offensive approach that’s been building steam for weeks.
And now, with the stakes at their highest, Seattle’s offensive versatility could be the X-factor.
“The thing with the Hawks is they have different weapons,” Bumpus said. “They can run the football, and even if they don’t hit 180 yards again, they can still put up over 100 and make you respect it. That opens up everything for Sam Darnold.”
This is where Seattle’s identity becomes dangerous. They’re not reliant on one phase of the offense.
They can grind out drives on the ground or stretch the field with Darnold’s arm. And when defenses are forced to account for both, that’s when the Seahawks are at their most unpredictable - and most effective.
For San Francisco, the challenge is clear: slow down a surging run game without giving up the middle of the field to one of the league’s most productive receivers. For Seattle, the opportunity is just as clear: dictate the terms of engagement and force the 49ers into uncomfortable decisions.
Saturday night’s showdown isn’t just a rematch. It’s a test of adjustments, of execution, and of which team can impose its will when it matters most.
The Seahawks believe they’ve found a formula that works. Now it’s time to see if it holds up under playoff pressure.