How Threatening are the Seahawks to the 49ers NFC West Title Hopes?

Winning the NFC West division title should be a cakewalk for the San Francisco 49ers.

The gap between them and the rest of the teams in the division is significant. It would not be surprising at all if they were to complete full 6-0 sweep this season as they did in 2022. However, there is apparently a case to be made that the Seattle Seahawks can threaten and even win the NFC West over the 49ers. At least, that is what NFL analyst Louis Riddick of ESPN believes.

"That division is wide open, right there for them to take this year. This is their year," Riddick said on the Rich Eisen Show. "Seattle is that team this year that could surprise everyone in the NFC, period.”

“We’ve talked about this team, but people don’t want to buy in, and that’s Seattle,” Riddick said. “I know it’s primarily the division they’re in, and people think that ultimately will be won by San Francisco and Kyle Shanahan. People still believe no matter what Geno Smith did last year like he got lucky last year; they don’t believe. But with the players added around him and another year as the team's starter, the Seahawks do have the necessary firepower to trouble a lot of teams, and they have general manager John Schneider to thank."

Hearing Riddick say this got me thinking about the threat Seattle poses to the 49ers. So, how serious of a threat are the Seahawks to the 49ers NFC West division title hopes?

It's feint. I don't see any more than a slim chance that the Seahawks win the division over the 49ers. Neither team got exponentially better or worse this offseason, so I am expecting the matchups to be more or less the same in 2023 as it was in 2022. That means the Seahawks will suffer multiple losses again to the 49ers. Now, I am not saying it will be a breeze for the 49ers beat the Seahawks. I do think there will be fits, mainly against the Seattle defense, for the 49ers to handle.

But ultimately, they will be just fine. The Seahawks are their only real threat, as mild as it is, in the NFC West with the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals being average and horrendous in their own right. Riddick putting his cape on for the Seahawks was quite entertaining, but he sounds like he either has a friend on the team or is trying to make the NFC West sound more interesting than it really is.