Run and D: After all season, just in time, THIS is how Seahawks are built to win

Kenneth Walker plowed.

When he didn’t, Zach Charbonnet did.

Only once in 67 offensive plays did quarterback Sam Darnold have the ball in “danger,” which, as their coach said, has been too much for most of the season.

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Finally, through spring into summer and then into winter, this is how Mike Macdonald engineered his Seahawks to win.

Run the ball. Win with defense.

That gave them their first division title in five years. That gave them two home wins in the Super Bowl playoffs.

That makes them the first No. 1 seed to make the playoffs since the last Super Bowl team in the 2014 season.

Walker gained 97 yards, including a key rush on the first possession of the third quarter and 17 yards in the fourth quarter. This set up the crucial field goal

Charbonnet rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown on his 12th carry. It was Seattle’s most touchdowns since Marshawn Lynch in 2014 (yes, the last Seahawks Super Bowl season).

Seattle rushed for 115 yards and rushed for 180 yards. That’s more than all the 49ers defense allowed (173 yards) as the Seahawks swept San Francisco 13-3 on Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium to earn the NFC West division and the top seed in the conference playoffs.

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Seattle rushed for 115 yards in the first half, its most since December 2024.

This is a Seattle recipe

That’s why McDonald and general manager John Schneider hired Clint Kubiak to replace the sharp-shooting Ryan Grubb as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator this season. That’s why they hired veteran line coach John Benton and former Denver Broncos Super Bowl assistant Rick Dennison last offseason as new running game coordinators.

Their mission this season has always been: control the tempo, field position and attitude through the offensive run. Then let MacDonald’s defense overwhelm the opponent and win the game.

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The 13-3 fight was perfectly in McDonald’s style. Six days ago, Seattle beat NFC North champion Chicago by 42 points and nearly 500 yards, but the 49ers scored next to nothing in the game, including nine of 32 first downs.

Seattle had eight consecutive first downs. The ninth score became the only touchdown of the game.

“Honestly, it’s easy to feel good right now,” McDonald said of Saturday’s late-night run

Then, true to his strict nature, the coach bemoaned some of the 49ers’ adjusted runs and shut down.

“I think it’s just a progressive attack,” McDonald said.

“We know who we are and what our core competencies are. We just keep attacking it. The offensive coaches hear from me every once in a while and they’ve been great at figuring things out and keeping the offense going.”

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It’s no coincidence that the Seahawks played so well early in this game that Darnold and the offense didn’t commit a turnover for just the fourth time in 17 games this season. Darnold threw just 26 passes, his fewest since November. He finished with 20 yards. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s receiving leader with 1,793 yards this season, plays a small role here. He caught six passes for 84 yards.

The only time Darnold risked a turnover was when he tripped and fell on the turf when handing the ball to Charbonnet while running left in the third quarter. The 49ers had a chance to get the turnover they craved and ultimately get a short field and touchdown opportunity.

But Charbonnet climbed over a defender and secured the fumble recovery. The Niners never scored a touchdown.

Line coach John Benton receives flowers

The Seahawks have run for 171, 163 and 180 yards in their last three games. For most of the season before that, they ranked in the bottom three in the league in yards per carry. As usual, Walker gave credit to his offensive linemen. Right tackle Abe Lucas threw key blocks, setting up Walker for 19 yards in the third quarter and 17 yards on the right end in the fourth quarter. Jason Myers’ field goal changed the score from 10-3 to 13-3. MacDonald’s defense dominated and the game was essentially over.

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“They’re maintaining their block,” Walker said of his forwards. “They win one-on-one. That’s what we always talk about.”

Consistency in messaging has become another hallmark of McDonald and his Seahawks coaching staff.

Center Jalen Sandel and rookie guard Gray Zabel sat side by side in the locker room after the win gave Seattle its first division title since 2020. Former North Dakota State teammates are smoking two of the many cigars enjoyed by the Seahawks after games.

“We’re getting more reps and we’re getting better,” said Sandel, who is playing center for the first time this season. “Thank you to our coaches. They’ve coached us the same way, objectively, from day one, since training camp. That hasn’t changed.

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“Shout out to Coach John Benton. He’s awesome. He’s one of the best O-line coaches I’ve ever worked with. He approaches practice the same way every day, no matter what, no matter who you are. There’s a way to get it done every time.”

If they can keep this up – running the ball like this, playing this defensive dominance – it’s not too far-fetched to imagine these Seahawks (14-3) winning two home playoff games and then returning to Santa Clara next month for their first Super Bowl appearance in 11 seasons.

For now, Smith-Ngiba and his teammates will enjoy a division title and a first-round bye as the NFC’s top seed. The Seahawks won’t play again until the divisional playoffs the weekend of Jan. 17-18.

“Yeah. That’s my goal,” Smith-Ngiba said of winning the Western Conference title. “This is a goal we’ve talked about since our first meeting (in April). So it’s a blessing. It’s an honor.

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“One’s down. There’s a few more to go.”