ESPN analyst breaks down only way for 49ers to beat Seahawks

Week 18 of the regular season was not only a chance for the Seattle Seahawks to clinch the NFC West Divisional title and the No. 1 seed with a win over the San Francisco 49ers, but it was also a chance for them to get revenge.

The Seahawks fell to the 49ers 17-13 in Week 1 following a Seahawks turnover in the red zone with less than a minute left. Seattle came back with a defensive vengeance as the Seahawks won 13-3 on the road in Week 18. Fast forward two weeks, and the Seahawks get to face the 49ers again, this time, on Saturday at home for the Divisional Round.

The Seahawks dominated the 49ers in the run game in Week 18 as Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet combined to rush for 171 yards on 33 carries and a touchdown. It also helped that the Seahawks’ offensive line, especially the interior, had one of their best games of the season.

Several experts seem to believe that similar results from Week 18 could happen again on Saturday. On ESPN’s Get Up on Wednesday, former six-time Pro-Bowl center and analyst Jeff Saturday talked about the 49ers’ chance to defeat the Seahawks coming down to one aspect.

“This is 100% how the 49ers can defend, can they stop Walker and Charbonnet because if the Seahawks can just run the ball and not even put the ball at risk with Sam Darnold, you have to make this a ‘Sam Darnold beat us game’ and JSN knowing where he wants to go with the ball, how can you create, confuse what can (49ers defensive coordinator) Robert Saleh do. Stopping the run is going to be the key to this game; if they don’t stop it, this thing won’t be close. If they can, they’ll have a shot to win it.”

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold handing the ball off to running back Kenneth Walker III in the Week 7 win over Houston. — Oct 20, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) hands the ball off to Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Once again, experts are undervaluing the level of input that Darnold can bring as a playmaker. Saturday feels that Darnold is a liability to the Seahawks’ offense as opposed to an asset.

The fact of the matter remains, if a defense takes a key aspect of the opposing offense, then that’s a significant advantage. The Seahawks didn’t need Darnold to constantly make the biggest throws possible, but he made the big throws when needed. Darnold completed 20-of-26 of his passes for 198 yards in Week 18.

The Seahawks have the momentum and the experience to create another solid offensive performance again. They capitalize on some of the missed opportunities to score touchdowns, and they know that kicker Jason Myers rarely misses two field goals in the game. Seattle will also have left tackle Charles Cross and rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo for additional support.

The biggest challenge for the Seahawks is watch out for the 49ers' star linebacker Fred Warner if he likely returns from injury on Saturday. Seattle is a big favorite and could create an even more explosive performance, especially in the running game.

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