49ers' Robert Saleh Sounds Off on the Seahawks' Offense

Robert Saleh sounded off on what the 49ers' defense will need to be better at against Seattle.

Nov 16, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh looks on in the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Significant changes will need to be made by the San Francisco 49ers in their third matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.

Their performance in Week 18 was arguably their worst of the season, given the stakes. They cannot come close to replicating that performance, especially defensively.

Robert Saleh knows his unit has to pick it up in this game to give the team a chance to win. On Wednesday, Saleh pointed out exactly where the 49ers need to improve from the last time they faced Seattle. 

Robert Saleh cites the improvement needed

Oct 19, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh congratulates San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (53) during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

“We need to do better on third down which means we need to do better on first and second down in terms of limiting the leaky yardage that we allowed,” said Saleh. “It felt like after the first quarter we settled in and played the run game very well. There were a couple of plays early in the game, obviously the third-and-two that went for 30 yards, the third-and-17 that inflated the numbers more than we would've liked.”

The 49ers allowed the Seahawks to convert on 6-of-13 third downs. It’s not an extremely high number of conversions. However, it is the time at which they were converted. 

The 49ers couldn’t stop the Seahawks on pivotal third-down moments in the game when they desperately needed them. The third-and-17 that the 49ers allowed was by far the worst of it, as Saleh cited. 

That third-down conversion was the dagger to the 49ers. It cannot happen again in the next outing, which is the point of emphasis Saleh is making to his defense. 

“What we weren't very happy about was our third down performance,” said Saleh. “And that's where in every game when you could look at it, when offense is struggling on third down and defense is struggling on third down, you're going to end up in a situation where they're hogging the ball and it's going to be hard to score. We were fortunate that we only gave up 13 points and we're going to have to play a lot better to keep it that way.”

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) rushes the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The Seahawks converted 11 first downs against the 49ers. Doing that, and with the way they were running the ball, equated to 37:48 in possession for Seattle. And while they only allowed 13 points, the 49ers were lucky. 

Remember, Jason Meyers missed two kicks, and the Seahawks oddly went for it on fourth down in the redzone on their opening drive instead of attempting a field goal. They gave the 49ers chances throughout the entire game. 

By cutting back on those third downs, especially the timely ones, and tightening up against the run, the 49ers’ defense will have a significantly improved outing. Although it’s easier said than done. The Seahawks aren’t a bunch of scrubs, as the 49ers experienced two weeks ago.

But with a couple of new faces in the starting lineup, along with changes in their approach, the 49ers should successfully execute their improvements to give the Seahawks a tougher game.

Follow Jose on X (Twitter) @JS3sanchezz to interact with him and subscribe to his YouTube Channel here for more 49ers content.

---