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SAN FRANCISCO – Before the season the Seattle Seahawks were supposed to be out watching the Super Bowl, but almost everyone was wrong.
The team’s offseason included a major overhaul, trading Geno Smith, signing Sam Darnold, and even letting DK Metcalf go to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Those moves turned out to be for the better, as they took first place in the NFC with a 14-3 record and are now one win away from their first title in 12 years.
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Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers is tackled by Nick Emmanwori of the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter of the NFC divisional playoff game at Lumen Field on January 17, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (Harry How/Getty Images)
The Seahawks dismantled their divisional rival, the San Francisco 49ers, in Week 18 to clinch the top spot and then did it again two weeks later in the divisional round.
“They’re a great team. You know, they beat us in both games. They definitely had our number in both games. We had to play better, we needed to limit our mistakes,” Christian McCaffrey told Pak Gazette Digital on Radio Row.
“They’re a very well-coached team. Obviously, they’re talented across the board, their defense is good, Sam leads the offense with Klint Kubiak,” added Brock Purdy. “They’ve done a really good job, man. They’ve earned it. They’re a team that we obviously have to be prepared for every week, or every time we play them. Overall, they’re a really good team.”
Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers is pressured by DeMarcus Lawrence of the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter of the NFC Divisional playoff game at Lumen Field on January 17, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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McCaffrey, however, said the Niners weren’t exactly given the benefit of the doubt against the juggernaut with some craziness on the schedule.
“I don’t want to make excuses, but the NFL gave us three short weeks at the end of a season when we had a bye in Week 14. So they didn’t do us any favors in that,” McCaffrey said. “When you have so many injuries and you’re already decimated, and then you put a team like that on short weeks, it makes it more challenging.
“But at the same time, those guys beat us, they beat us in every facet of the game. And if we want to win, we have to play better. It’s that simple.”
Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards and caught 119 passes, 10 of them for touchdowns. Darnold also became the only quarterback to win 14 or more games for two different teams in consecutive seasons.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks in action during the 2025 NFL game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on January 3, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
They will face the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, where McCaffrey and Purdy call home, on Sunday.
