Seattle unleashes a bruising, old-school ground attack, physically dominating a depleted 49ers defense en route to a playoff victory.
Seattle Seahawks fans should feel good heading into tonight, and not just because it’s playoff football at home.
The team enters its postseason matchup against the San Francisco 49ers as the healthier, deeper, and frankly more complete team right now.
San Francisco limps in missing yet another cornerstone, with George Kittle sidelined by an Achilles injury that feels like the final straw in a season full of them.
Seattle, meanwhile, has been quietly finding itself, especially on the ground.
There was a brief moment of anxiety on Thursday when quarterback Sam Darnold popped up on the injury report with an oblique issue.
It’s not on his throwing side and he’s expected to play, but obliques don’t exactly scream “let’s uncork 40-yard lasers all night.”
Which is probably fine, because Seattle already has the blueprint.
When these teams met two weeks ago, the Seahawks bullied the 49ers with a throwback game plan: load up 21 personnel, put a fullback on the field, and run the ball like it owes you money.
ESPN analyst and proud Seahawks superfan Mina Kimes highlighted just how effective that approach was, noting she and Bill Barnwell both expect to see plenty more of it tonight.
The results were undeniable. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet combined for 171 rushing yards, averaging over five yards per carry. It wasn’t cute. It wasn’t flashy. It was grown-man football.
On the flip side, Seattle’s defense completely smothered Christian McCaffrey, holding him to just 23 yards on 2.9 yards per attempt.
That kind of disparity usually tells you everything you need to know about who controlled the trenches.
This late-season run surge didn’t happen overnight. For much of the year, Seattle hovered near the bottom of the league in rushing production. Then something clicked.
Over the final month, the Seahawks climbed to 12th in rushing yards per game, and suddenly looked like a team nobody wants to face in January.
San Francisco’s defense simply doesn’t have the bodies to counter it.
Linebacker Fred Warner was expected to be a late return from injured reserve, but he won’t suit up. Veteran Eric Kendricks has provided leadership and effort, but this linebacker group is thin, and depth matters when you’re getting leaned on snap after snap.
Expect Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to embrace the chaos. A heavy dose of downhill runs. Just enough play-action to keep defenders honest.
And then, when the fourth quarter hits, more running directly through the heart of a defense that’s already tired of being hit.
Playoff football doesn’t always reward creativity. Sometimes it rewards the team willing to line up and say, “I dare you to stop us.”
Seattle looks ready to say it again ... louder this time.