The Seattle Seahawks closed out the regular season on a seven-game winning streak to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They made the most of the bye week to heal their bodies and get ready to take down the San Francisco 49ers for the second time in as many games.
Mike Macdonald's team made a statement from the very start of the game. Rashid Shaheed's kickoff return for a touchdown was an omen of what's to come. Then, the defense forced back-to-back turnovers to jump to a 17-0 first-quarter lead.
That's why, after watching the Seahawks crush their way to a 41-6 win, even legendary quarterback Tom Brady had to give them their flowers. In fact, he seems to love their chances to come out of the NFC next week.
Tom Brady loves the Seattle Seahawks' chances in the NFC
"Whichever team comes and plays here next week, they better hope that the Seahawks are playing less than their best. I can't fault them tonight offensively or defensively," Brady said, as quoted by the BBC.
You know you're doing something right when the winningest quarterback of all time says that about you. Watching the tape and the numbers, it's impossible not to feel the same way. If anything, it felt like the Seahawks didn't keep their feet on the gas during the whole game; they didn't seem to need to have their A-game to dominate the Niners.
Sam Darnold, whose name popped up in the injury report with an oblique injury, did just enough to keep the chains in motion. He completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown, and the offense just had 281 total yards. Even so, the Seahawks scored five touchdowns (four on offense).
The defense set the tone early by forcing one turnover on downs and then recovering a fumble. They held Kyle Shanahan's team to 236 total yards, 108 of which came on the ground. They forced three turnovers, stopped the Niners on fourth down three times, and didn't allow a touchdown in the whole game or a single score in the second half.
The win was the true example of what it means to be a team. When everybody does their part, no one has to stand out and be the hero. That should be a scary thought for the Seahawks' next opponent, as it seems like there's another gear they can still get to if needed.