The divisional round game between the Seahawks and 49ers certainly wasn’t the most exciting of Saturday’s two playoff contests with the Broncos defeating the Bills in overtime just before kickoff at Lumen Field in Seattle.
The Seahawks, the NFC’s top seed, dominated from start to finish with receiver Rashid Shaheed returning the opening kickoff 95 yards for an immediate score. Seattle stomped San Francisco 41-6 to advance to next week’s NFC championship game, where it will get to play host once more. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III was the star of the night, rushing for 116 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries.
With his monster game, Walker joined franchise legend Shaun Alexander as the only Seahawks to score three or more rushing touchdowns in playoff game in franchise history. Alexander accomplished the feat back in 2004 when he rushed for three scores with just 45 yards in a 33-27 overtime loss to the Packers in the wild-card round.
Walker’s big day helped the Seahawks reach the NFC championship game for the first time since ‘14 when they went onto the Super Bowl after winning the whole thing a year before. Following Saturday’s game, the fourth-year running back gave all the credit to the big men in front.
“I just got to give the credit to the O-line,” he said to reporters postgame. “They had the holes there and all I had to do was hit it.”
Kenneth Walker on joining Shaun Alexander as only #Seahawks with 3 rushing TDs in a playoff game, credits his offensive line. Said all he had to do was run. @thenewstribune pic.twitter.com/vSKbfieFMR
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) January 18, 2026
Despite quarterback Sam Darnold’s questionable status entering the game due to an oblique injury, Seattle continued to roll after winning its final seven games of the regular season. The Seahawks move on to play the winner of Sunday’s game between the Bears and Rams with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kenneth Walker III Joins Seahawks Legend With Historic Three-Touchdown Game.
