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The San Francisco 49ers saw a prime opportunity slip away in Week 18, falling 13-3 at home to the Seattle Seahawks in a game that decided both the NFC West title and the conference’s No. 1 seed. Seattle’s win secured a first-round bye and home-field advantage, while San Francisco was forced into a much more difficult playoff path that now begins on the road.
Still, in the immediate aftermath, veteran tight end George Kittle made it clear that the 49ers are already shifting their mindset toward what comes next. Speaking after the loss at Levi’s Stadium, Kittle acknowledged the sting of losing to a division rival with so much at stake.
“Look, we lost at home to a division rival for the division and the No. 1 seed, and that hurts,” Kittle said during post game press conference. “It is what it is, and yes, I’m very disappointed about it. It’s horrible.”
The frustration was understandable, especially given how thoroughly Seattle’s defense controlled the game. At the same time, Kittle emphasized that the playoffs offer a reset.
“The good news is I get to play football next week, whether it’s Saturday, Sunday, Monday or whenever it is, I gotta play football again,” said Kittle. “And it’s gonna be on the road in a hostile environment. Whether I’d much rather be on a bye and get to play in Levi’s Stadium? Yeah, but that’s just not our reality. So, I fully expect our team to come in, attack it like we have a whole new season ahead of us. It is what it is, we just gotta go to work.”
His comments reflected a veteran’s perspective, recognizing that postseason football often rewards teams that can quickly move on from disappointment.
“We have a week. Hopefully, we get Trent back. That’s super helpful. He’s a really good football player. Maybe Ricky,” he added. “That’s horrible, I hate losing. I hate losing to the Seahawks. But hey, we’re going to play football next week. And whoever it is, whenever what happens. Go cardinals.”
On the field, the Seahawks’ defense limited Brock Purdy to 127 passing yards, bottled up the run game to just 53 yards, and recorded three sacks and an interception. Kittle, returning to the lineup, finished with five catches for 29 yards, emblematic of an offense that never found rhythm.
Now, the 49ers will enter the Wild Card round as either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed, depending on the Los Angeles Rams vs. the Arizona Cardinals’ game result.
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