Written by Jordan Mitchell

The sack hit at a critical point in the down-and-distance battle. Reed brought Purdy down on second down, forcing San Francisco into a long-yardage situation — 3rd-and-13 — and swinging the pressure back onto the 49ers’ offense.

What stood out just as much as the finish was how Reed did it. The play drew attention because he completed the sack while working through a club/hand limitation — essentially finishing with “a full club on one hand,” turning the rush into a power-and-leverage win instead of a clean, two-handed wrap.

The celebration had a reason — and a reference

Reed’s celebration wasn’t random showmanship. It came after a snap that flipped the drive and forced the 49ers into a must-convert third down — the kind of defensive win Seattle needed in a divisional fight. Reed hit the pose and rhythm like punctuation: a “we’re here” statement after finishing a high-impact sack through contact.

The style also looked familiar to longtime Seahawks observers. Reed’s “celly” was widely described as a nod to the old Seahawks sack-dance era — specifically a Michael Bennett-style celebration. The tribute angle fits Reed’s role as a veteran leader on the front: deliver the stop, then set the tone.

Seattle’s momentum didn’t stop with the sack

The defensive stop mattered because it handed the Seahawks offense a chance to respond. On the next possession swing, Seattle’s run game featured a quick burst of production — including a drive where Zach Charbonnet found the end zone after a strong stretch of carries (including a line of six carries for 47 yards and a touchdown in the highlighted sequence).

Early rushing involvement also showed how Seattle split work in the backfield: Charbonnet logged multiple early carries, while Kenneth Walker III also contributed on the ground. In a game where field position and third downs were tight, Reed’s sack-and-celebration moment landed as the defensive spark that helped set up those opportunities.

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In a rivalry matchup that rewards one-play swings, Reed delivered one of the biggest: a sack that pushed the 49ers behind schedule — and a classic celly that made the message unmistakable.

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