Sea of Heartbreak: Niners’ Season Ends in Seattle After Rough Divisional Blowout
By 49ers Faithful Staff
The 2025 season came to a heartbreaking end at Lumen Field. Despite a season defined by overcoming the impossible, the San Francisco 49ers fell 41-6 to a Seahawks team that took advantage of every mistake. Here is the complete breakdown of the game that ended our run.
NFC Divisional Round — January 17, 2026
Seattle, WA • Lumen Field
Final Score: Seattle Seahawks 41, San Francisco 49ers 6
Attendance: 68,579
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Seahawks | 17 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 41 |
The Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown
1st Quarter: A Storm from the Start
The 49ers entered the loudest stadium in the NFL needing a fast start. Instead, they got the opposite. Rashid Shaheed took the opening kickoff 95 yards for a score before the offense even touched the ball.
Key Sequence: After the return, the 49ers moved the ball to the Seattle 40, but a 4th-and-1 run by Kyle Juszczyk was stuffed. Seattle took over and Sam Darnold immediately found Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 33-yard gain, setting up a Jason Myers field goal.
The Turning Point: A Brock Purdy fumble on the next possession gave Seattle the ball at the 10-yard line. Two plays later, it was 17-0.
2nd Quarter: The Purdy Scramble
The second quarter was the Niners' best stretch of the game. Brock Purdy, realizing the pocket was collapsing quickly, used his legs to extend drives.
The Scoring: Eddy Piñeiro showed why he was a mid-season savior, nailing a 40-yarder and a massive 56-yarder.
The Heartbreak: The Niners had a 1st-and-goal at the 6-yard line late in the half. Three straight runs netted only 3 yards. Forced to settle for a field goal, the momentum stalled. Seattle marched back and Kenneth Walker III scored his first TD of the night with 0:14 left on the clock.
3rd Quarter: The War of Attrition
The "next man up" philosophy was pushed to its absolute limit. Christian McCaffrey suffered a stinger on the opening drive of the half and did not return. Jake Tonges, who had been the primary chain-mover, also went down with a foot injury.
Defensive Stand: The Niners' defense actually held Seattle to a field goal on a 12-play drive, keeping the game at 27-6.
The Dagger: An Ernest Jones IV interception on a deflected Purdy pass gave Seattle the ball in the red zone. Walker punched it in again.
4th Quarter: Running Out of Time
The fourth quarter was a formality. Seattle leaned on their offensive line, and Kenneth Walker III tied the Seahawks' playoff record with his third rushing TD. With 6:12 remaining, Mack Jones entered the game to give Purdy a rest.
Impact Players: 49ers vs. Seahawks
- Brock Purdy: 242 passing yards and 37 rushing yards. He was the entire offense for the first three quarters.
- Jake Tonges: Before his injury, he was the breakout star with 5 catches for 59 yards.
- Deommodore Lenoir: Provided sticky coverage all night, recording 7 tackles and two pass breakups.
- Kenneth Walker III (SEA): 116 yards, 3 TDs. He was the hammer that broke the game open.
- Rashid Shaheed (SEA): 152 total return yards and the game-opening TD.
- Ernest Jones IV (SEA): 6 tackles, 1 INT, and 1 Forced Fumble.
Turnover Battle
The turnover margin was the ultimate decider at Lumen Field. The Seahawks played a clean, mistake-free game, while the 49ers handed over the ball three times, resulting in a 21-point swing in favor of Seattle.
- Purdy Fumble: A first-quarter strip-sack gave Seattle the ball at the SF 10, leading to an immediate touchdown.
- Jones IV Interception: Ernest Jones IV snagged a deflected pass in the third quarter, setting up Kenneth Walker's second TD.
- Emmanwori Recovery: Nick Emmanwori recovered a late fumble to effectively end any hope of a comeback.
Statistical Deep Dive
| Category | San Francisco | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 16 | 21 |
| Total Net Yards | 236 | 281 |
| Rushing Yards | 108 | 175 |
| Passing Yards | 128 | 106 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Sacks Allowed | 4 | 1 |
| Time of Possession | 28:49 | 31:11 |
The "Why": Analysis of the Loss
Special Teams Collapse: Giving up a TD on the opening kick in a playoff environment is a death sentence. It allowed the 12s to stay loud the entire night.
Red Zone Inefficiency: The Niners moved the ball well between the 20s but went 0-for-2 in the Red Zone. Against a high-scoring team like Seattle, you cannot trade touchdowns for field goals.
The Pressure Rate: Seattle blitzed less than 10% of the time but still pressured Purdy on nearly half of his dropbacks. The 49ers' offensive line simply couldn't hold the point of attack.
Looking Ahead & Injury Update
The 49ers now enter an offseason focused on healing and reloading for 2026. The main priority will be rehabilitating the core that finished the season on the sidelines.
- Christian McCaffrey: Diagnosed with a stinger; expected to be full-go for the offseason program.
- Jake Tonges: Suffering from a foot sprain; will require 4-6 weeks of recovery.
- Offseason Focus: Expect the front office to prioritize the interior offensive line and defensive backfield depth in the upcoming NFL Draft.
LABELS
purdy, mccaffrey, tonges, pineiro, 49ers, seahawks, seattle, divisional, nfc, playoffs, recap, TD, highlight, walker III, shaheed, jones IV
🔴 The Final Word for the Faithful
This loss hurts because of how much this team sacrificed to get here. From losing stars like Bosa and Kittle to playing with a "misfit" roster that refused to quit, this season will be remembered for its heart. We don't rebuild; we reload. See you in 2026. ❤️💛
49ers Faithful: WRITE FOR US
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