Comparing Rivals: How Do Seahawks, 49ers’ Offenses Stack Up Against Each Other?

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images [/caption]

Seeking their first NFC West title since 2020 and first No. 1 seed since 2014, the Seattle Seahawks will put everything on the line when they travel to Levis Stadium to face the San Francisco 49ers in a winner-takes-all Week 18 rematch.

It’s been 17 long weeks since Seattle and San Francisco last met, with the 49ers sneaking out of Lumen Field with a 17-13 season-opening win in a game largely dominated by defense. Much has changed since then, including San Francisco losing star pass rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner to season-ending injuries, but Kyle Shanahan’s team has continued to thrive with a high-powered offense ranking eighth in points per game. Seattle has been as consistent as any team in the NFL, going 13-2 since that defeat behind Sam Darnold’s arm and a stingy defense.

Looking toward the pivotal season finale in Santa Clara, how do the Seahawks and 49ers top-10 scoring offenses stack up against each other? And who holds the edge at each positional group on Saturday night?

Quarterback

Despite missing a large chunk of the season due to a toe injury, Brock Purdy has thrown 20 touchdown passes in just eight starts, five fewer than Sam Darnold has thrown in 16 starts for the Seahawks. From that perspective, the fourth-year quarterback out of Iowa State has outperformed his former backup, posting a league-best 7.8% touchdown rate.

With that said, comparative analysis between Purdy and Darnold isn’t as lopsided as those touchdown numbers would maybe suggest. For all of the talk about Darnold’s turnover issues - he leads the NFL with 20 of them, so the criticism has validity - Purdy actually has a higher interception rate (3.5%) per 100 pass attempts, has been picked off nine times, and has lost a pair of fumbles. His 11 turnovers would equate to a 1.375 turnovers per game average, which would top the league among qualified quarterbacks, including Darnold.

Looking at the two players holistically, Purdy’s touchdown production and ability to create off extended plays stand out among the game’s best. But the latter has his own improvisation talents coupled with a bigger arm and when he’s on, it can be argued he has the higher ceiling of the signal callers. Nonetheless, Purdy has consistency and playoff pedigree in his corner give him the slight edge here.

Edge: 49ers

Running Back

In terms of star power, the 49ers have a potential future Hall of Famer starring in their backfield in McCaffrey, who has rebounded nicely from an injury-marred season to surpass the 2,000 all-purpose yards mark. With over 5,300 receiving yards and 36 receiving touchdowns on his resume to go with five 1,000-yard rushing seasons and 62 rushing touchdowns, few players have ever offered the dual threat capabilities he does as rare gadget weapon who can inflict major damage from anywhere in the formation, and Kyle Shanahan maximizes those immense talents in his offense.

The Seahawks don’t have a back of McCaffrey’s caliber, at least in terms of production. However, Walker has the juice to hit a home run anytime he touches the football with elite speed, something the Rams were reminded of two weeks ago on a 55-yard touchdown run. Serving the role of Robin to Batman, Charbonnet’s power and physicality provides the perfect complement to Walker’s explosiveness, and he has been an incredibly reliable runner in short yardage and goal line situations, ranking seventh in the league with 11 rushing touchdowns despite being in a time share of sorts.

McCaffrey still takes the cake as the best back for either team and Brian Robinson has done some nice things as a backup rotating in behind him for San Francisco. But Walker and Charbonnet have been just as valuable this year overall in Seattle’s offense and the run game has been gaining momentum as of late, making this one a coin flip in terms of which backfield has the advantage.

Edge: Draw

Receiver

Few teams do a better job of sharing the wealth in the passing game than the 49ers, who have withstood Brandon Aiyuk’s departure with a by-committee approach at the receiver position. Jauan Jennings has been the biggest benefactor of Aiyuk being placed on the reserve list and Deebo Samuel being traded to Washington, catching 51 passes for 608 yards and nine touchdowns. Ricky Pearsall and Kendrick Bourne each have 500-plus yards apiece, though neither has found the end zone, while Demarcus Robinson has slowly become a bigger factor after missing several games due to suspension early in the season.

As solid of players as Jennings, Pearsall, and Bourne are, none of them come close to Smith-Njigba, who should be viewed as the Offensive Player of the Year favorite heading into Saturday’s finale. Even if he ends up falling short of Calvin Johnson’s single-season record, he still has a great opportunity to become one of six players to eclipse 1,800 receiving yards in a season and he has more explosive receptions (39) my himself than all of San Francisco’s receivers combined (36). Rashid Shaheed has provided another viable weapon in the passing game while also offering playmaking ability in the run game and on special teams, while Cooper Kupp’s 13 explosive receptions would lead the 49ers this year.

San Francisco does a fine job of maximizing on the skill set of its receiving corps, but starting with Smith-Njigba as a top-three wideout in the NFL, this may be the most stark difference between the two teams in terms of talent. Even without a healthy Tory Horton, Darnold has a significantly better array of pass catchers at his disposal than Purdy does.

Edge: Seahawks

Tight End

Much like running back, based on name recognition, the 49ers instantly have cred with George Kittle still being a top-five caliber tight end. Picking up the slack with the losses of Samuel and Aiyuk, even while missing time on injured reserve early in the season, the veteran has turned seven of his 52 receptions into touchdowns and remains one of the premier blockers at his position. Behind him, as the Seahawks learned the hard way at the end of the first matchup in September, Jake Tonges has been one of the team’s biggest surprises, catching 34 passes for 293 yards and five scores, including the game winner against Riq Woolen in the opener.

Kittle obviously carries the most weight name recognition-wise as a perennial All-Pro, but the Seahawks may have a player with the same type of ceiling blossoming in AJ Barner, who has somewhat quietly surpassed 50 receptions and 500 yards this year while tacking on six touchdown receptions. The second-year tight end out of Michigan has become Darnold’s second favorite target away from Smith-Njigba, particularly on third downs and in the red zone where his size and ability to create after the catch have been major assets for Klint Kubiak’s offense in the passing game. Eric Saubert packs a punch as a run blocker and has even made a handful of catches for good measure in a reserve role.

If the Seahawks had a healthy Elijah Arroyo, the scales might actually tip towards Seattle at tight end. Given who will be in uniform on Saturday, however, Kittle and Barner both have had quality seasons and provide key contributions in all facets, making this another one worthy of a coin flip. Tonges’ emergence giving San Francisco the slightest nod here, but it’s by the slimmest of margins.

Edge: 49ers

Offensive Line

Coming into Saturday with a bum wheel after pulling his hamstring in Week 17, Trent Williams will be one to watch to see how the All-Pro tackle responds on short rest. But if there’s a player who can still dominate at 75%, it’s Williams, who has been a top-three blind side protector and road grader for over a decade and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. He’s still the best offensive lineman on either team, even if he’s not quite up to his usual standard for this contest. While he has allowed more pressures than his rookie year, Dominick Puni has only yielded one sack and continues to ascend as a premier young guard in the league.

Away from Williams and Puni, the Seahawks stack up quite well with their rivals in the trenches, at least based on pass protection numbers. Center Jalen Sundell has yet to allow a sack in 12 starts, while Grey Zabel has been rock solid giving up two sacks in 16 starts during his rookie season and Anthony Bradford has yielded just one sack in the previous nine games. Charles Cross being sidelined for a third straight game with his own hamstring injury creates a question mark, and yet, Josh Jones has played admirable ball over the past two weeks in both pass protection and as a run blocker.

For much of the past decade, San Francisco has lapped Seattle on the offensive line, typically boasting one of the best units in football. The Seahawks have made up a ton of ground in 2025, evidenced by the fact the two teams are only separated by four spots in PFF’s pass blocking grade metric. With that said, the 49ers still have more star power up front and they have been more consistent in the run game as a group, so they still have the advantage even if the gap has closed substantially.

Edge: 49ers