Seahawks to Rekindle 49ers Rivalry in Divisional Round Rematch
After battling for an NFC West title and the top seed against their biggest rivals just eight days earlier, the San Francisco 49ers now officially lie in the Seattle Seahawks’ path to the NFC Championship Game.
By virtue of a gritty 23-19 road win over the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday, the 49ers earned a chance at redemption against the Seahawks, as the two NFC West foes will duel at Lumen Field next Saturday with the game time yet to be determined. The upcoming grudge match will mark on the second time in Seattle’s 50-year history where it played a division rival in back-to-back games, as it last occurred in 1991 against the then-San Diego Chargers sandwiched around a bye week.
During the regular season, the Seahawks lost a 17-13 heartbreaker in the season opener to the 49ers on their home turf on September 7. Seattle tried to mount a game-winning drive in the closing moments and managed to advance into the red zone, only for defensive end Nick Bosa to knock the ball out of quarterback Sam Darnold’s hands as he attempted to throw the ball and recover the fumble, allowing San Francisco to kneel out the rest of the clock.
Taking advantage of a litany of injuries for San Francisco, including Bosa being lost for the season to a torn ACL, Seattle avenged that Week 1 loss in a high-stakes season finale, suffocating Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense while holding them to a single field goal. Zach Charbonnet scored the game’s only touchdown on a 27-yard rumble in the opening quarter as the Seahawks ripped off more than 180 yards on the ground to lock up a division crown for the first time since 2020.
Health-wise, the Seahawks will once again have a major advantage heading into Saturday’s rematch, especially coming off a much-deserved bye week. Coach Mike Macdonald expects his team will have starting left tackle Charles Cross and safety Coby Bryant back in the lineup after the two players missed multiple games to close out the regular season with hamstring and knee injuries, respectively. In addition, rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo returned to practice last week and likely will be activated to the 53-man roster after missing four games on injured reserve.
Meanwhile, the 49ers suffered another major blow in their victory over the Eagles, losing All-Pro tight end George Kittle to an Achilles tear. While there may be an outside chance Warner can make a spectacular return for Saturday and left tackle Trent Williams suited up after missing the season finale with a hamstring strain, even if both players are on the field, Kittle, Bosa, and first round pick Mykel Williams won’t be available among others sidelined by injury.
Still, it would be foolish for Seattle to overlook a resilient San Francisco squad that has overcome tremendous odds with all of the injuries to win 13 games and stay in the hunt for a Super Bowl return. Coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh have done a masterful job maintaining a high level of performance with a depleted roster, a testament to the franchise’s player development and coaching, and as long as Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey remain healthy, they always have a shot to win.
Per FanDuel, the Seahawks opened as 6.5-point favorites. The official kickoff time on Saturday should be known by the conclusion of Monday’s wild card round finale when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Houston Texans.
