The Seattle Seahawks just shut down the San Francisco 49ers’ surging offense in a 13–3 win in Week 18. With that result, Seattle locked up the NFC’s No. 1 seed and the division title, earning a first-round bye. Meanwhile, the 49ers now face a tougher road ahead, literally. But instead of dwelling on the missed opportunity, 49ers tight end George Kittle quickly pivoted to what comes next. 

“We lost at home to a division rival for the division and the No. 1 seed, and that s-cks,” George Kittle told reporters. “It is what it is, and yes, I’m just disappointed about it. It’s horrible. The good news is I get to play football next week. Whether it’s Saturday, Sunday, or whenever it is, I gotta play football again. 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.” 

After the loss, as attention quickly shifted to how San Francisco would embrace the challenges on the road, George Kittle sent a clear message to the locker room. Kittle did not pretend the loss didn’t sting, but he also made it clear that his team’s season isn’t over. The 49ers still get a shot at the postseason, and Kittle appears to be grateful for it.

That mindset matters, especially considering what Kittle has dealt with this season. He missed time early after suffering a torn hamstring in Week 1 and landing on injured reserve. Then, just when he returned, a mid-to-low ankle sprain forced him to sit out Week 17. Given that context, Kittle’s gratitude for simply being able to play football again feels genuine. 

But the Week 18 loss itself was shocking for George Kittle’s offense. The Niners entered Week 18 as one of the NFL’s hottest offenses, averaging over 42 points and 455 yards per game in December. Yet against Seattle, everything stalled. Somehow, the 49ers were only down 10-3 in the first half of the game, which almost felt like a victory given how lopsided the game looked. But Seattle never let San Francisco catch up. 

Missed opportunities also defined the night for the Niners. A third-and-long run allowed, a failed fumble recovery, and then the red-zone interception late in the fourth quarter all proved costly for the Niners. The 49ers’ mistake inside the red zone in particular cost them dearly. 

With 10:21 left in the fourth quarter of the game, Niners running back Christian McCaffrey bobbled a slightly tipped pass from quarterback Brock Purdy on second-and-goal from the six-yard line. The ball then bounced into the air, and linebacker Drake Thomas reacted instantly, intercepting it at the three-yard line.

By the end, the numbers told a brutal story about George Kittle’s offense. The 49ers managed just 173 total yards – their worst offensive output in a regular-season game under head coach Kyle Shanahan. They also scored only three points and wasted an elite defensive effort that held the Seahawks to just 13 points. 

But the good news for the Niners is that this loss won’t affect their playoff qualification, as they had already clinched a playoff berth with a win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16. So, the Niners will now enter the postseason as a Wild Card team on the road. And while George Kittle remains realistic about the challenge ahead, he also knows help from elsewhere could improve their path. 

George Kittle makes a clear request to the Cardinals in Week 18

After the Week 18 loss, the 49ers now turn their attention to a road playoff run, fully aware that a rematch with Seattle could still happen. The defeat means that the 49ers must wait until Sunday to find out their postseason positioning. Several NFC matchups on Sunday, including the Arizona Cardinals vs. the Los Angeles Rams, will determine the final seeding for the Niners. With that in mind, George Kittle did not hesitate to send a message to the Cardinals.

“I look forward to whoever we play,” Kittle said at the end of the post-game presser. “Let’s go Brudda and Trey McBride. Go Cardinals.”

If Arizona beats the Rams, the 49ers will lock in the No. 5 seed and draw either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Carolina Panthers in the Wild Card round. However, if the Cardinals fall, San Francisco drops to the No. 6 seed and likely faces a much tougher matchup against either the Philadelphia Eagles or the Chicago Bears. Because of that scenario, Kittle suddenly found himself cheering for the Cardinals, even giving a public nod to Arizona tight end Trey McBride. 

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So, the reality for the Niners is that instead of enjoying a bye and a chance to have a home-field advantage until the Super Bowl, they will now hit the road. San Francisco finished the regular season with a 12–5 record, and they will open the postseason when the NFC Wild Card round kicks off next weekend.