Kenneth Walker III showed Saturday he can be a closer as well as a starter.
Walker rushed for 116 yards and three touchdowns as the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks routed the visiting San Francisco 49ers 41-6 in an NFC divisional-round playoff game.
Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a score to set the tone for the Seahawks, who will play host to the winner of Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago next Sunday in the NFC Championship Game for a berth in Super Bowl LX.
Walker gained a team-leading 1,027 yards on the ground during the regular season but scored just five touchdowns, fewer than half as many as backup Zach Charbonnet (12 TDs), who often took over when the Seahawks reached the red zone.
With Charbonnet sidelined late in the second quarter with a left knee injury and unable to return, Walker took over.
He scored on a 7-yard run with 31 seconds left in the half that gave Seattle a 24-6 advantage.
Walker added a 15-yard touchdown run with 2:23 left in the third to make it 34-6 and tallied from 6 yards out with 12:43 remaining to cap the scoring.
Walker became just the 18th player — and first Seahawk — to have at least 100 yards rushing and at least three TDs in a postseason game.
“It feels great. It always feels great to have a day like this,” Walker said.
That was more than enough for the Seahawks’ defense, which kept the 49ers out of the end zone for a second consecutive game after a 13-3 victory two weeks ago in the regular-season finale in Santa Clara, Calif. That win clinched not only the NFC West title for Seattle but also the conference’s top seed and a first-round bye.
The Seahawks forced three turnovers Saturday and stopped San Francisco three more times on fourth-down attempts.
“They’re unbelievable. They’ve stepped up every single game for us,” Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold said. “Can’t say enough great things about that defense. It was tough in training camp and OTAs going up against them. But I’m glad they’re on our side.”
San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey, who played through a left shoulder injury sustained in the first half, rushed for just 35 yards on 11 carries and made five receptions for 39 yards.
The 49ers’ Brock Purdy was 15-of-27 passing for 140 yards with one interception and lost a fumble.
San Francisco’s points came on field goals of 40 and 56 yards by Eddy Pineiro after the Seahawks built a 17-0 first-quarter lead.
“Everyone is sick in there about tonight and the way that went in every facet,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said of the reaction in the locker room. “No one played great, no one coached great today … it got away from us.”
After Shaheed’s touchdown, the 49ers turned over the ball on downs on their first possession, leading to a 31-yard field goal by Seattle’s Jason Myers.
San Francisco’s next drive lasted just two plays, as tight end Jake Tonges fumbled after being hit by Ernest Jones IV following a reception.
Darnold threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba to cap a five-play, 42-yard drive to make it 17-0.
Darnold, who was questionable with a left oblique injury sustained during practice earlier in the week, completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards and the touchdown to Smith-Njigba.
“We kind of knew how we wanted to attack them and the type of game that it was going to be,” Seahawks rookie left guard Grey Zabel said. “And with Sam not feeling his best, I think the offensive line wanted to put it on their back to maybe go out and help Sam out a bit by being able to run the ball like we did.”
–Field Level Media
