Carroll highlights stark talent gap between 49ers, Seahawks

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In the aftermath of the 49ers' 41-23 NFC Wild-Card Round win over the Seahawks on Saturday at Levi's Stadium, Seattle coach Pete Carroll expressed disappointment in the final outcome, believing his team "had it."

While the Seahawks took a 17-16 halftime lead into the locker room, the 49ers' depth of talent flipped the script in the second half, outscoring Seattle 25-6 over the final 30 minutes.

The 49ers' offense dominated the action after the halftime break, but in Carroll's mind, the difference between the two rosters has to do with San Francisco's suffocating defense.

"There's a distance here," Carroll told  "Brock and Salk" during "The Pete Carroll Show" on KIRO-AM on Monday (H/T The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar). "It's really because of what they've got up front. Their front seven is really, really well equipped. Their linebackers have been there like four years together, the same three guys playing. [Talanoa] Hufanga just jumped right into it and became an excellent factor out of nowhere. He fits in like he's been there for his whole career. But the guys up front really make a difference. [Arik] Armstead is unbelievably talented. He's a problem every snap. [Nick] Bosa is a problem every snap. We breathe a sigh of relief when he has to take a break so we can go ahead and get after it. Those guys make enough stuff happen and they demand so much focus in the game plan and the approach because they're going to do something to you if you don't. That's a big difference than what we have."

The beauty of the 49ers' roster, and specifically the defense, is that the main characters are homegrown players drafted and developed into the players they are today.

Armstead was a first-round draft pick in 2015. Bosa was the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2019. Fred Warner was a third-round pick in 2018. Dre Greenlaw was a fifth-round selection in 2019. Hufanga was a fifth-round pick in 2021. Jimmie Ward was their first-round selection in 2014.

RELATED: 49ers end Carroll's win streak in dominant fashion

Carroll is trying to build something similar in Seattle, and while they believe they are on the right path, this 2022 NFL season showed just how far the Seahawks have to go to catch the 49ers. San Francisco won all three matchups this season, including the Week 15 game in the Pacific Northwest.

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