Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold zips a sideline pass to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 13-yard toe-tapping grab for a first down against the Carolina Panthers. Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III makes a Carolina Panthers defender miss with a filthy juke move on a 16-yard run in Week 17.

As it has been all season long, the Seattle Seahawks' killer defense made an emphatic point exactly when it was required, and the San Francisco 49ers had no answers for any of it. Now, Seattle controls the NFC postseason.