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(Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks rolled past the San Francisco 49ers with a 41-6 win in the divisional round on Jan. 17 at Lumen Field. With the victory secured, the Seahawks now await the result of the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams game to learn their opponent in the NFC title game.
Sam Darnold entered the matchup dealing with an oblique injury but was able to play. The quarterback completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards, threw one touchdown, and managed the offense efficiently.
The Seahawks did not need much through the air, as Kenneth Walker III powered the offense on the ground. Walker finished with 19 carries, 116 rushing yards, averaged 6.1 yards per carry, and scored three touchdowns.
After the contest, Jaxon Smith-Njigba shared his thoughts on Darnold’s performance.
“He was telling me he was good and apparently, he didn’t lie to me,” Smith-Njigba told reporters (h/t Gregg Bell of Tacoma News Tribune). “So he played great. It’s going to be a media thing and big all around. But he gave me the okay, the thumbs up, and I knew we were going to get it.”
Moreover, Darnold caught Smith-Njigba off guard with the only passing touchdown Seattle recorded in this contest.
“Honestly, it surprised me not how hard he threw [the touchdown pass] because he was hurt,” Smith-Njigba added. “But I was just like, ‘Wow, how is he going to fit it through this window and happened to do it again.’“
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Talks Win Over 49ers
After the contest, Darnold spoke with FOX Sports to share his thoughts on playing through the injury and recording the win.
“It felt good,” Darnold said postgame. “Once I got going, I felt really good, and it was no problem… Our offensive line. First of all, our defense, our special teams, that opening kickoff was unbelievable. But our offensive line, the receivers, tight ends, everyone doing their job in the run game, obviously the running backs, and then the receivers stepping up in the passing game.”
Moreover, Darnold went into detail regarding the Seahawks’ defense, which again made life difficult for the 49ers.
“They’re unbelievable,” Darnold added. “They’ve stepped up every single game for us. Can’t say enough great things about that defense. It was tough in training camp, and OTAs is going up against them, but I’m glad they’re on our side.”
Richard Sherman Gives Blunt Take on Seahawks
Nonetheless, whether it’s the Bears or the Rams, former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman didn’t hold back his expectations for this Seattle team after beating the Niners.
“Can’t wait to do this [podcast] what a day!!!” Sherman wrote on X after the Seahawks’ win. “Seahawks dominate in all three phases of the game. Can’t see a scenario where they don’t end up in Santa Clara.”
Darnold also spoke about waiting to see which team the Seahawks will face in the NFC title game.
“We’ll see who we play,” Darnold said. “But no matter who it is, we got a great squad, a really resilient bunch, a group that I’d play football with any day of the week. So really proud to be a part of this team, this organization.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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