Offensive excitement wasn't exactly on full display during the Seattle Seahawks' regular-season finale against NFC West division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. It was a surprisingly low-scoring 13-3 win for Seattle, but it was all they needed, and they did it in their typical, suffocating defensive fashion.
The win gave the Seahawks home-field advantage in the postseason. Additionally, it also secured a franchise-best 14th regular-season win. The Seahawks’ history was made on the night they won their division for the first time since 2020, and Sam Darnold was the quarterback to get them there.
Darnold played well, but it was the Seahawks' rushing attack that led the way and carried the offensive load, while Seattle's defense shut down an explosive 49ers offense in their own right. In a game that achieved more than one goal, the winners are plenty, but even in a win, one rising superstar missed out on a different historic record, unfortunately, meaning this night has one loser as well.
Seahawks' running backs carry the load, while Sam Darnold finishes strong
Winner: Kenneth Walker III, RB
Walker has unquestionably elevated his game over the past two months, becoming a much more effective piece of the Seahawks offense now that Klint Kubiak has let the reins loose. Walker officially ended this season with his best campaign since his rookie season, and against the 49ers, the four-year running back led the offense with 97 yards on the ground and 36 through the air.
Walker certainly helped Seattle win big Saturday night, and the Seahawks will need this again from him during a hopeful deep playoff run.
Winner: Zach Charbonnet, RB
Charbonnet has played behind Walker all season long, yet the former has the bulk of Seattle's rushing touchdowns, and Charbonnet was again the Seahawks' running back to get into the end zone against the 49ers.
Similar to Walker, who finished his best season since his rookie year, Charbonnet also finished this season with a career year in yards (656) and touchdowns (11). With Darnold not throwing any passing touchdowns on Saturday, it was up to the running backs to move the ball, and Charbonnet was Seattle's lone major points getter.
Winner: Mike Macdonald, HC
Mike Macdonald is just one of a handful of young head coaches in the league that have done remarkable jobs with their first teams, but now that Seattle has secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, their division, and the franchise's historic 14th win, if Seahawks fans didn't understand why Macdonald was hired in the first place, they should know now more than ever.
Macdonald is of a defensive mind, and all season, that has shown up in massive ways, and it did against the 49ers, too. Brock Purdy threw 10 touchdowns in the two previous weeks combined. Against the Seahawks? He threw 0.
The defensive shutdown of the 49ers offense has much to do with lead coordinator Aden Durde, but Macdonald drives the bus, and he's a huge winner because of it.
Loser: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a winner against the 49ers, there's no doubt about it. He tallied 84 yards on six out of eight targets, which, once again, like seemingly every week this season, screams elite efficiency. The only reason JSN is a loser after the 49ers matchup is solely because Smith-Njigba missed out on Calvin Johnson's single-season wide receiver record.
Granted, JSN was off pace almost a month ago, but if it wasn’t official before Saturday night, it is now, considering the tear he was on and the pace he was on to surpass the record. Smith-Njigba lost out on it this season, but there might be a more important element at play: he is officially elite and a top wideout in the league.
Winner: Sam Darnold, QB
Darnold finishes the regular season as a winner because A) he ended the season with a significant win to close out the NFC West, and B) he's largely responsible for Seattle's 14th win — a feat the franchise has never before experienced. Darnold has looked more like the Wild Card over the past two months, but still, he's quarterbacked the Seahawks to win after win.
Against the 49ers, he didn't throw a touchdown, but he successfully protected the football, avoiding any disastrous turnovers. Ending the season with a crucial win makes Darnold a huge winner, especially considering how last season ended for him with the Minnesota Vikings.