Seattle Seahawks found a new level of dominance as they stormed to a 41-6 win over San Francisco 49ers in what was their first playoff game in front of home fans in almost a decade.
Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kick-off for a touchdown, Kenneth Walker III rushed for three scores and Seattle forced three turnovers in a never-in-doubt win that sent the top-seeded Seahawks to the NFC championship game.
Seahawks legends Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Doug Baldwin also hyped up the famed '12th Man' crowd in Seattle, providing a throwback to the Seahawks' fearsome 'Legion of Boom' teams from the 2010s.
"One of our most complete games, for sure," defensive lineman Leonard Williams said. "[Shaheed] starting the game off like that set the tone."
Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass and got his first career playoff win in his first season with the Seahawks (15-3), who will host either the Chicago Bears or Los Angeles Rams next Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl at stake.
The Seahawks led 7-0 13 seconds into the game thanks to Shaheed, who fielded the opening kick and took it 95 yards to the end zone - it was the fourth kick-off return for a touchdown to open a playoff game since 2000.
"I was so hyped," defensive lineman Byron Murphy II said.
"I wasn't expecting that, but when he did it, I knew the game was over then. I already knew."
Darnold, who had been listed as questionable because of an oblique injury, guided the Seahawks on two more scoring drives before San Francisco got on the board with the first of their two field goals.
As he has all season, Darnold impressed his team-mates with his toughness.
"He told us he was going to do whatever it takes to get back and play for us," offensive lineman Grey Zabel said.
"That was a gutsy performance by him, not feeling his best. He continues to just be a leader in the huddle, on the field, and on the sidelines."
After he flopped in his playoff debut last season with the Minnesota Vikings by taking nine sacks in a 27-9 loss to the Rams, Darnold completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards and connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a touchdown in the star receiver's playoff debut.
Seattle hadn't played in the postseason since the 2020 season, when they lost at home to the Rams with no fans in the stands because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 49ers were never competitive in the second-most lopsided playoff loss in franchise history, with their 49-3 defeat to New York Giants in the divisional round in the 1986 season taking the top spot.
The Niners were missing three injured All-Pros: tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner and defensive end Nick Bosa.
Star left tackle Trent Williams, who himself played through a hamstring injury, was proud of his team for getting as far in the playoffs as it did.
"When you're playing with guys you're signing off the practice squad," Williams said, "guys [you are] taking off the street - you have got to temper expectations a bit.
"So many rosters were fully loaded while we were playing with guys that we got a week ago, two weeks ago, some guys signed at the beginning of the season, some guys signed in the middle of the season.
"The fact that we were able to get to this part of the season, divisional round in the playoffs and give ourselves a chance to get in the NFC championship and we're extremely shorthanded, I'm proud of this team."
Walker's three rushing touchdowns tied him with Shaun Alexander for the most in a playoff game in franchise history.
Walker finished with 116 yards rushing, his most since his rookie year in 2022, and he picked up the slack after Zach Charbonnet was injured during the game. The Seahawks ran for 175 yards, their third most this season.
"You can see it, how they're breathing, they're tired, they're slow to get up," Walker said. "You can see it's demoralising to them."
