Why Seahawks are primed for a better performance vs 49ers in Divisional Round

The Seattle Seahawks (14-3) became the team to beat this postseason after the team concluded the regular season with a seven-game winning streak. This includes the 13-3 road win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18. That was a significant revenge game for the Seahawks after their 17-13 home loss to them in Week 1.

The two divisional rivals will meet for the third time this season in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to break the split series. The Seahawks have been on a bye week from the Wild Card Round thanks to them clinching the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The 49ers are coming off a 23-19 road win over the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.

While the 49ers defeated the Eagles, they encountered more significant injuries that will affect the Divisional Round matchup. The first and most obvious is the season-ending injury to 49ers tight end George Kittle. He suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in the second quarter of the game.

This caused running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Demarcus Robinson to step in the passing game. McCaffrey caught two touchdowns as he has more of a factor as a pass-catcher than a running back. Robinson caught six receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t account for at least 45 yards at any point during the regular season.

Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen makes a tackle in the Week 18 win over the San Francisco 49ers. — Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) makes a catch against Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) during the first half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

In the Week 18 matchup, the Seahawks shut down the passing game and made sure no pass-catcher, including Kittle, accounted for more than 35 yards. The Seahawks will still have McCaffrey locked down as a pass-catcher, but now they will have Robinson to watch for. He, McCaffrey, and the other wide receiver, Jauan Jennings, will be the only pass-catchers to watch out for.

The 49ers’ defense looked incapable of suppressing Eagles running back Saquon Barkley for most of the game. The Seahawks rushed for 180 yards on 39 carries in Week 18, with 171 yards coming from running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.

Seattle had an extra week to watch film and improve its offensive line, which is getting hot at the right time. It also helps that Seattle will likely have left tackle Charles Cross at or near 100% after missing the last three games.

Finally, the Seahawks’ offense will look for more consistency after missing out on some points in Week 18. Quarterback Sam Darnold had a solid performance, but there were some throws if he pulled the trigger, the Seahawks would have scored and he knows it. Another is the reliable kicker Jason Myers missing two of his four total field goals. It’s uncharacteristic of him, even in rough weather.

The Seahawks got the Week 18 win, thus clinching the NFC West Division and the No. 1 seed. Overall, the Seahawks’ coaching staff knows they have a lot to fix in all phases of the game. The extra time to study, heal up, and mentally prepare for the Divisional Round will give the Seahawks a serious edge over the heavily injured 49ers.

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