It isn’t so surprising that the Seattle Seahawks’ defense stonewalled San Francisco in their 41-6 divisional round playoff victory on Saturday night. Mike Macdonald’s crew had done it before. Rashid Shaheed has blown things open with a return, Kenneth Walker III has had big games, and the Hawks have soared past 40 points.
All that has happened in 2025. You know what had not happened until Saturday night? Cooper Kupp had never been the Seahawks’ leading receiver.
In his most important game wearing College Navy, Kupp did the one thing that Seattle fans have been longing for. He provided a legitimate alternative to All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
This was just the second game all year in which JSN did not lead the club in receiving yards. The only other time it happened was in Seattle’s blowout win over Minnesota in Week 13. A.J. Barner led the team that day. In every other game this year, JSN had topped 70 yards. On Saturday, he had 19. It didn’t matter.
Cooper Kupp saves his best game as a Seahawks for the biggest moment
Kupp’s five catches for 60 yards may not seem like a big deal. 49ers' tight end Jake Tonges had similar numbers on the night. But those catches mattered a lot for a Seahawks’ offense that had grown overly reliant on its one sensational receiver. Nowhere had this been more apparent than in Seattle’s two games against the 49ers.
When these teams met in the regular season, JSN accounted for 44% of all targets and 42% of all receptions. He was responsible for more than 60% of the receiving yards the Seahawks had in those two games.
It seems likely that San Fran defensive coordinator Robert Saleh saw stopping Jaxon Smith-Njigba as job one on Saturday night. And Saleh’s defense succeeded. Until fairly late in the game, Jake Bobo was actually outgaining JSN.
Cooper Kupp filled the gap. He did it in a way that was reminiscent of what he once did for the Los Angeles Rams. Kupp’s first two catches were short routes on Seattle’s first drive. But his third catch was big.
Seattle was already up 10-0 and had just recovered a Tonges’ fumble. San Francisco was desperate to keep the game from getting out of hand. Safety Malik Mustapha blitzed on first down and nailed Sam Darnold for a ten-yard loss.
On second down, Kupp ran a textbook deep out, and Darnold proved he could make big throws despite his much-lamented oblique injury. The veteran receiver gained 21 yards on second and 20. The Seahawks had a first down. Three plays later, Walker would score his first touchdown for a 17-0 lead.
Kupp did virtually the same thing late in the third quarter. By that point, the game was largely out of hand, but there was still time left for a 49er miracle.
Seattle again was driving, but on first down, 49ers linebacker Dee Winters shot through the line to drop Shaheed for a three-yard loss. Facing a second and 13, Darnold again looked to Kupp – this time in the short flat. And Kupp again converted the first down, keeping the drive moving.
This time, Hawks’ fans only had to wait one more play for Walker to score another touchdown.
For the game, Kupp caught all five of his targets. Three of them went for more than ten yards and resulted in first downs. It may not have been spectacular, but it was much needed.
Want to know the spectacular part? Go back to that first drive.
Second and ten, after an incompletion to JSN, Zach Charbonnet had his first touch – a sweep left. Robbie Ouzts is out in front. Eric Saubert has a typically great block on the edge. Charbonnet rumbled for 15 yards and another first down.
The key to the entire play? Cooper Kupp’s crackback on 270-pound defensive end Sam Okuayinonu. Kupp stonewalls the bigger defender and creates a gaping hole for Charbonnet.
That has been typical of Kupp all season, especially since Saubert returned from injury. Seattle’s tight ends and receivers have been crushing opposing defenses with their blocking.
That was one of the primary goals for Klint Kubiak when he came on as offensive coordinator. Control the line of scrimmage. Pound the defense with a double-headed running back machine. Cooper Kupp has been a vital part of that strategy all season long as a blocker.
He did that again on Saturday. Only this time, he also made a handful of big catches. When Kupp provides that for this offense, the Seahawks are very hard to stop.