With the NFC’s one seed and the NFC West on the line, a San Francisco 49ers team that’s spent the season battling injuries and defying the odds got a harsh reality check on Saturday night, as the Seattle Seahawks came into Levi’s Stadium, cooled down the 49ers hot offense and beat the home team, 13-3 – a score which makes the game sound a lot closer than it actually was.
“Oh, disappointed,” Shanahan said. “Those guys, regardless of how well we did, our guys really fought out there. Our guys were exhausted after the game, like we are after every game. I told them to enjoy tomorrow. We don’t know whether we’re going to play Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
“We don’t know who we’re going to play until after the afternoon game. But, when they come in here Monday, come in ready to go wherever we’ve got to be ready to go, and hopefully we can earn a chance to see that team again.”
From the outset, Seattle’s defense dominated a San Francisco offense that had been the hottest in the league over the last several weeks. The Seahawks opened the game marching down the field with relative ease, only to turn it over on downs in the red zone. The 49ers could not capitalize, going three and out twice, matching 49ers punter Thomas Morstead’s December punt total in two drives. Not great.
The 49ers offense could never get into a rhythm, turning the ball over on downs themselves on a 4th and 2 and then wasting a late game red zone opportunity when Christian McCaffrey bobbled a pass from Brock Purdy into the waiting arms of Seattle LB Drake Thomas at the Seahawks’ three-yard line.
“It’s a play that I have to make,” McCaffrey said. “I absolutely have to make that play. I expect nothing less but to make that play and it’s completely on me…It’s a shame, man. The defense did an unbelievable job the whole game. They held him to 13, and that’s huge. And again, I go back to that play that could have put us in the game. That’s on me.”
Purdy didn’t think it was quite that simple.
“I mean, it’s a tough play,” Purdy said. “The ball got tipped at the line, so it came out weird and he’s trying to adjust. He beat his guy in man, and then all of a sudden, the ball’s just like coming in weird and just didn’t go our way. The other guy was right there to catch it, it was right in his lap.
So, obviously Christian’s hard on himself with that. I’m hard on myself because it’s like, ‘dude, don’t get the ball tipped at the line of scrimmage.’ So, it’s just one of those things that sucks, but Christian’s a baller. He’s going to live to play the next play and he’s a Hall of Fame running back. So, dude should walk out with his head up.”
The 49ers managed just nine first downs and 173 yards of total offense. In the game’s final seconds, Purdy was, in a word, drilled by two Seattle defenders and left the game with a stinger. Shanahan said Purdy would have returned.
“I got hit and the left shoulder sort of lit up, so I feel good right now,” Purdy said Saturday on night. “We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.”
San Francisco was without Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams, which certainly didn’t help matters as the 49ers are 4-13 without him, since he came to Santa Clara in 2020.
They were also without WR Ricky Pearsall. Shanahan said they would have had a “much better” chance to play if the game was Sunday, which bodes well for the playoffs.
“Well, look, we lost at home to a division rival for the division and the one seed, that sucks,” Kittle said. “That is what it is. Yes, I’m disappointed about it. It’s horrible. Good news is I get to play football next week…It’s going to be on the road in a hostile environment. Would I much rather be on a bye and get to play at Levi’s Stadium? Yeah. But that’s just not our reality. So, I fully expect our team to come in, attack it, and we have a whole new season ahead of us. It is what it is. So, we’ve just got to get to work.”
That work is going to be figuring out a way to score points against good defenses. Seattle boasts the NFL’s second-ranked scoring defense behind the Houston Texans. Should San Francisco play Philadelphia next weekend – the most likely, but not the only, scenario – they’re going to see a defense that is similar to Seattle’s and San Francisco’s playoff success essentially rides on the offense making up for their defensive deficiencies.
Per PFF, the 49ers had 18 missed tackles on Saturday. 18! The Seahawks had two missed field goals, the aforementioned turnover on downs, and more missed opportunities that would have made the game a blowout. San Francisco’s defense made some big stops, but the final score is far from indicative of an overall performance that gave up 180 yards rushing and 261 yards of total offense.
#49ers had 18 missed tackles last night per PFF. The Seahawks had 3. Tatum Bethune had 5 missed tackles and Malik Mustapha had 3
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) January 4, 2026
Back to the offense – the 49ers ran 32 passing plays and 10 running plays. Purdy was sacked three times.
“We had an op we just didn’t due to X, Y, and Z,” Purdy said. “So, I’m not going to sit here and go, ‘Man, how the heck did that happen?’ They played good defense and we didn’t execute. And when all these other games where we’ve pulled away and had good points and stats and all that stuff, it’s because we execute on the gritty third downs. We stay on the field and then we go score touchdowns after that. So obviously that’s something that we needed to do tonight. We didn’t, and then the scoreboard shows it.”
And so, the one seed and home field advantage are dreams of the past, and San Francisco looks to do what it’s done all year, and exceed expectations.
“Take the medicine we got, because we have more football to play,” said rookie defensive lineman Alfred Collins. “We take it on the chin, learn from it and get back to work next week.”
What’s done is done, but the road to the Super Bowl just got significantly harder. Getting there will mean three road wins, not two home wins, and potentially seeing the Bears, the Seahawks or the Rams again.
“We’re going to be road dogs,” said offensive lineman Colton McKivitz. “That’s what this team we’ve kind of been…we try to make it the hardest possible on ourselves. So, we did exactly that. We know what it would have been to have a home games throughout the playoffs and obviously finish up here at Levi’s, but we understand what’s ahead of us…but now we’ve got to be road dogs and I think this team’s ready for that. We’ve made it hard on ourselves and let’s go.”
Shanahan did not shy away from a similar sentiment.
“Oh, we’re ready for it,” he said. “I mean, yeah, it would’ve been nice to have a home game here or both home games and get a Bye. But, it is what it is. I mean, this team’s been through a lot this year. Now we’ve got to do it the hard way and we’ll embrace the shit out doing it the hard way and look forward to it.”
The question of where and when the 49ers play next will be answered Sunday evening.
Kittle twice mentioned rooting for the Cardinals against the Rams on Sunday. A Cardinals win would give the 49ers the five seed and mean playing the NFC South winner.
“I mean, this whole season’s been difficult for us, and we continue to beat the odds, continue to show people that we’re a real football team,” McCaffrey said. “We didn’t show it today, we know that, but I love the guys in the locker room and how we responded all year. And again, put it on myself. I’m going to come back ready to go, and I know everybody in that locker room will as well.”