Some playoff games are impossible to call, but others appear one-sided from the very beginning, except for Terry Bradshaw. Yesterday, Bradshaw went out on a limb during the FOX pregame show, confidently picking the 49ers to upset the top-seeded Seahawks. He had informed the viewers that he’d studied film and done a lot of praying. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough for the only analyst brave enough to bet against Seattle. 

“I’m Terry Bradshaw here for Fox Sports, Fox NFL Sunday, and as all of you millions of fans out there have noticed that follow me, I was the only one last week to pick the 49ers over the Eagles on the road in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love,” Bradshaw announced on Instagram. “Again today, I’m the only one to put in the work, made the phone calls, studied the tapes, and after careful consideration and a lot of praying, I’ve decided that I’m going to go with the 49ers again. Okay, 49ers, I gotta go.”

Bradshaw’s successful call on the Niners-Eagles game was impressive, but divisional matchups are not as simple as Wild Card games. The deep-seated rivalry between Seattle and San Francisco added a layer of volatility. In the regular season,  the 49ers had beaten the Seahawks at Lumen Field, but the same road game proved to be very different in the postseason.

After winning their first week’s game of the season 17–13, the 49ers saw their luck run out against the Seattle Seahawks, who dominated the next two matchups. On the road, they had a 13–3 Week 18 victory followed by a crushing 41–6 win in the playoffs. This postseason blowout was especially significant as it immediately shut down any optimism from fans and analysts like Terry Bradshaw, as his words had backfired.

The Seahawks dominated the game from the very first play, when Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. The team recorded a score of 7-0 in just 13 seconds in their divisional round. 

Additionally, Seattle’s defense was unstoppable, forcing three turnovers and stopping the 49ers on fourth down four different times. Key defensive plays by Ernest Jones IV and DeMarcus Lawrence kept San Francisco from ever getting into a rhythm, holding them to very few yards and only six points.

By the time the clock ran out, the Seahawks had secured a lopsided 41–6 win. This victory sends Seattle to the NFC Championship game for the first time in 11 years and leaves Bradshaw’s “careful consideration” looking like a major mistake.

49ers head coach reflects on lost shot at Super Bowl LX

The San Francisco 49ers’ loss was especially stinging because a victory would have sent San Francisco to the NFC Championship and kept alive their dream of playing in Super Bowl LX, which will be hosted at their own home field, Levi’s Stadium, in February.

In the locker room following the defeat, head coach Kyle Shanahan chose to focus on the team’s resilience throughout the year rather than the lopsided final score. 

“You know, obviously, we’re really disappointed with today,” Shanahan said to the reporters. “We obviously didn’t have it today. Credit to them. Trying not to harp on that; we could discuss some of that stuff on Monday when we get back together. But I just thanked them for the whole season, how much they battled through everything.” 

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.the coach spoke about how successful the year had been.

“I know everyone in there was sick about tonight and the way that it went in every facet. But I tried not to make it about tonight when I was in there with them,” Shanahan continued. “I just kind of thanked them for what they’ve done all year. [I’ve] been extremely, extremely proud of everyone in that room throughout this year.”

While Shanahan acknowledged the team’s collective disappointment and plans to review the game film later this week, his immediate message was one of gratitude for the effort and toughness the 49ers displayed all season long.