By Michael-Shawn Dugar, Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur

The NFC’s road to Super Bowl LX will go through Seattle for the first time since 2014, after the Seahawks smothered the NFL’s hottest offense in a 13-3 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in a pivotal regular-season finale at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

With the win, the Seahawks (14-3) secured the conference’s No. 1 seed, the lone first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, as well as their first NFC West title since 2020. Seattle also set a franchise record with 14 regular-season wins and improved to 15-2 on the road during coach Mike Macdonald’s two-year tenure.

The 49ers (12-5) hoped to claim the top seed and ensure they would not travel throughout the postseason, including for the Super Bowl, which will be at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8. Instead, they will hit the road as a wild-card team next week. If the Los Angeles Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, the 49ers will be the NFC’s sixth seed and face either Chicago or Philadelphia. If the Rams lose, San Francisco will be the fifth seed and visit the NFC South champion (either Carolina or Tampa Bay).

Entering Saturday, the 49ers had averaged 373.2 yards and 35.7 points per game in Brock Purdy’s six starts since returning from a toe injury in Week 11. But the Seahawks limited them to 173 yards and 3 points, avenging a 17-13 home loss to the 49ers in Week 1 and overcoming several mistakes on offense and special teams.

The 49ers, who played without left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring) and receiver Ricky Pearsall (ankle, knee), didn’t get inside the Seahawks’ 30-yard line until early in the fourth quarter, moving 64 yards to the Seattle 7. But Purdy’s pass was tipped by Boye Mafe and went off Christian McCaffrey’s hands before being intercepted by Drake Thomas at the Seahawks’ 3-yard line with 10:21 to play. The Seahawks killed 8:01 of clock on the ensuing drive, all but putting the game away, even as kicker Jason Myers missed a 26-yard field-goal attempt off the right upright.

Sam Darnold finished 20 of 26 for 198 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 97 yards, and Zach Charbonnet added 74 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown. Purdy finished 19 of 27 for only 127 yards and an interception. He also stayed down for a moment and needed attention after taking a big hit on a failed fourth-down play on the 49ers’ final drive before eventually jogging off.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said afterward that Purdy suffered a stinger in his left shoulder but would have been fine to return to the game had the 49ers gotten the ball back.

Seattle dominated the first half in almost every area but the scoreboard, outgaining San Francisco 196-69 and holding the ball for 19:20 of the 30 minutes. But the Seahawks failed on fourth-and-goal from the 4 on their opening possession and then settled for two field-goal attempts, one of which was missed by Myers, keeping the 49ers within 10-3 at the break.

The Seahawks took a 10-point lead late in the third quarter, but only after avoiding disaster. Darnold tripped on center Jalen Sundell while preparing to hand off and fumbled, but 49ers defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos could not recover the loose ball, and Charbonnet fell on it. Two plays later, Walker weaved for 19 yards on third-and-17, keeping alive a drive that ended with a Myers field goal and the game’s final points.

Seattle’s defense made the difference

The Seahawks have one of the league’s best defenses and proved it against a 49ers offense that was red hot coming into this game. Seattle’s two running backs had nearly as many rushing yards (171) as the 49ers had total yards (173). Seattle recorded eight quarterback hits, three sacks, an interception and five total passes defensed. Macdonald has completely revamped that side of the ball, and it’s clearly good enough to get these Seahawks through the playoffs and back to Levi’s Stadium for the Super Bowl. — Michael-Shawn Dugar, Seahawks beat writer

Macdonald takes Seahawks to new heights

Macdonald replaced a potential Hall of Fame coach and, in his second season, has done something his predecessor (Pete Carroll) never accomplished: win 14 games. Led by a dominant defense, Seattle just completed the winningest regular season in franchise history, and now the road to the Super Bowl will go through Seattle for the first time in 11 years. That season ended with a Super Bowl appearance, and the Seahawks are now in great shape to return. — Dugar

The moment that cost the 49ers

McCaffrey started every game in 2025, will likely finish with the most touches of any NFL player this season and didn’t lose a fumble in any of the 17 contests. Yet, his bobbled reception attempt at the Seahawks’ 3-yard line ended the 49ers’ best shot at getting back into the game. Purdy, who had started to heat up during a fourth-quarter drive, found McCaffrey just in front of the goal line on second down. The tailback, however, couldn’t control the slightly tipped pass, and it went from his arms into those of Thomas, the only turnover of the game.

“It’s a play I absolutely have to make,” McCaffrey said after the game. — Matt Barrows, 49ers beat writer

Niners’ offense screeches to a halt

The 49ers entered Saturday’s game leading the league in third-down conversion rate at 51 percent but went only 2 of 8 in one of the worst offensive performances in Shanahan’s tenure. Apparently, there is a reason the lightning-quick Seahawks defense was first in the league on third down, allowing only 32 percent conversions coming in. The 49ers were 1 of 5 in the first half, the only successful play a 13-yard Purdy pass to Jauan Jennings that led to a field goal to make it 10-3. Purdy converted his first third down of the third quarter, but that would be it. The 105 yards gained by the 49ers through three quarters were the fewest of any game under Shanahan. — Vic Tafur, 49ers beat writer

San Francisco’s defense bent but never buckled

The Seahawks’ offensive line created huge holes, as the 49ers gave up 182 yards at almost 6 yards a pop, but … somehow, the 49ers’ defense gave up only 13 points. The Seahawks missed two field goals, and there were some head-scratching calls inside the 10-yard line, but the 49ers used two early sacks and then timely tackles by Upton Stout and Deommodore Lenoir to keep their offense in the game. That would have been hard to believe after the defense was torched by the Colts and Bears at times in the past two weeks. — Tafur

49ers injuries at linebacker keep adding up

The 49ers lost two more starting defenders Saturday when linebacker Dee Winters injured his ankle in the second quarter and Tatum Bethune left with a groin injury in the fourth quarter. Shanahan said after the game that both players’ injuries could affect availability for the postseason opener.

Winters was arguably San Francisco’s most consistently impressive player throughout the spring and summer, easily holding off third-round rookie Nick Martin for the starting weakside spot. With Fred Warner (ankle) already out of the lineup, the 49ers’ top linebackers at game’s end were Eric Kendricks and Garret Wallow, with only Luke Gifford in reserve. Of that group, only Gifford, a special teams ace, spent the offseason with the 49ers. The team signed Kendricks on Nov. 26 and claimed Wallow off waivers on Dec. 8. — Barrows