Story byCharles McDonaldStaff writerSun, January 18, 2026 at 5:57 AM UTC·5 min readSeattle laid its claim for the NFL throne in the exact way it did during its dominant run toward the NFC’s No. 1 seed: by ferociously pummeling their opponent without mercy. The Seahawks’ offense had a productive, albeit somewhat ugly game Saturday night against the San Francisco 49ers, but Seattle’s defense (and special teams!) stole the show in this 41-6 divisional round wipeout. Now Seattle is a game away from getting back to the Super Bowl for the first time in over a decade. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s a playoff position star defender DeMarcus Lawrence, who had a strip sack of Brock Purdy late in the second half, hasn’t seen in his career after spending 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.