Seahawks Poised to Flip Script on Recent NFC West Playoff Woes

The Divisional Round matchup is set. The Seattle Seahawks will host the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night in Seattle, for a chance to play (and in the Seahawks’ case, host) the NFC Championship Game.

For the third straight trip to the postseason, dating back to 2020, the Seahawks will face an NFC West foe. In fact, this will be the second consecutive playoff game Seattle plays against the 49ers, going back to the Wild Card Round following the 2022 season.

That matchup did not go well. The Seahawks were overmatched by San Francisco. The hapless Seattle defense allowed 505 total yards and the offense turned it over twice, giving the 49ers a 41-23 victory. It was a quick exit in what was a surprising run to the playoffs in the year after Seattle traded away franchise quarterback Russell Wilson.

Now, three years later, they will face the 49ers again. This time, in Seattle. This time, favored. And this time, with a vastly different defense.

Back in 2020, the last time the Seahawks '“hosted” a playoff game (without fans due to the COVID pandemic), the Rams came to town, another pesky NFC West rival. Seattle’s offense failed to gain any traction, falling short of 300 total yards. The score was 30-13 Rams until late in the fourth quarter.

The Seahawks have not only been one-and-done in their last two trips to the postseason, but both times it’s been at the hands of a division rival.

Every year, of course, is a new year. Teams are vastly different every season. This Seahawks squad received a glow-up better than Ugly Betty between their last postseason trip and now. They have, by points allowed, the best defense in the NFL.

Not only that, but they defeated these very same 49ers less than two weeks ago, 13-3. They held the mighty San Francisco 49ers offense without a touchdown.

That certainly is something notable different this time around versus back in 2022. The Seahawks went 0-for-2 against the 49ers in 2022 before getting sqaushed in that Wild Card round in Santa Clara. This year, they split the two meetings and you can argue that the Seahawks were a Sam-Darnold’s-arm-running-into-Abe-Lucas’-back away from winning both matchups.

This team is better equipped to succeed in playoff football. In 2022, they ranked ninth in scoring offense and 25th in scoring defense. They were a middling run team, ranking 18th in rushing offense. This year, they are top three in both scoring offense and defense along with the 10th-ranked rushing attack. That’s a formula that can get you deep into January and early February.

On Saturday night in Seattle, the Seahawks have a chance to right some wrongs and end some droughts. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2019. They haven’t won a home playoff game since 2016. They haven’t beaten a division rival in the playoffs since that fateful 2013 NFC title game when Richard Sherman’s tipped pass sent Seattle to Super Bowl XLVIII. It’s time to end all those streaks in front of the rabid 12s.