The San Francisco 49ers’ season ended in humiliating fashion with a 41-6 playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks – and head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear afterward that no one inside the organization would be spared from accountability.
Instead of deflecting blame or protecting reputations, Shanahan delivered an unusually blunt assessment of the performance, criticizing both players and coaches for a collapse that unraveled from the opening kickoff.
“No one played perfectly; no one played great today,” Shanahan said during his postgame press conference. “No one coached great today. They got us pretty good. I thought Brock made several plays, but in the second half it got away from all of us.”
Seahawks exposed 49ers’ weaknesses from the opening kick
Seattle seized control immediately when Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, eliminating any margin for error before the 49ers offense even took the field. From there, the Seahawks dominated the line of scrimmage and dictated the game’s tempo.
San Francisco’s first offensive possession ended on a failed fourth-down attempt, setting the tone for an evening defined by missed opportunities and broken execution. With the deficit growing quickly, Shanahan was forced into a pass-heavy game plan – exactly what Seattle’s defense was built to exploit.
The Seahawks’ front consistently collapsed the pocket while also neutralizing the run. Christian McCaffrey struggled to find space early and later spent extended stretches on the sideline dealing with a shoulder stinger. Without a consistent rushing attack, the 49ers became predictable, allowing Seattle to sit in coverage with two deep safeties and challenge San Francisco to execute long, mistake-free drives.
Brock Purdy showed flashes of resilience early, extending plays and delivering accurate throws under pressure. But his options were limited. Most of the first-half production came through McCaffrey and tight end Jake Tonges, while the wide receivers failed to generate separation or consistent yardage.
The game shifted decisively when Tonges fumbled late in the first half with the 49ers trailing 10-0. The turnover set up another Seattle touchdown, stretching the deficit to 17-0 and effectively ending any momentum San Francisco hoped to build.
Purdy Fights, but structure collapses around him
As the game progressed, the conditions around Purdy deteriorated. With George Kittle already sidelined and Tonges later exiting, the quarterback was forced to throw to less-experienced targets while under relentless pressure. His third-quarter interception came on a broken play – a desperate attempt to salvage a down rather than a reckless decision.
By the fourth quarter, it was survival more than football. Purdy was sacked repeatedly, lost a fumble on a hit from DeMarcus Lawrence, and spent most snaps scrambling rather than operating within structure. He finished the game completing 55.6 percent of his passes for just 140 yards, with no touchdowns.
Purdy wasn’t the sole reason the game unraveled – but he also couldn’t prevent it. The protection failed, the run game disappeared, and the supporting cast struggled to create solutions.
Shanahan’s frustration matched the film. The 35-point loss was his worst defeat since taking over as head coach in 2017 and the second-largest playoff loss in franchise history. Only the infamous 49-3 loss to the Giants in 1987 was worse.
When asked to evaluate the season as a whole, Shanahan admitted he wasn’t ready to process it yet.
“I’ll process that over the next… I’m going to process that a lot tonight. I’ll do it a lot tomorrow. I’ll do that over the next month,” he said. “Tonight is a little hard. I tried to articulate that to the guys. We’re extremely disappointed right now, but it doesn’t take away from how I feel about them.”
While Seattle advances to the NFC Championship Game, the 49ers head into the offseason facing uncomfortable questions about roster depth, offensive identity, and whether a team built to contend simply fell apart when it mattered most.
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