Why Seahawks' Week 18 game vs. 49ers will have a different outcome than Week 1

The Seattle Seahawks’ 17-13 Week 1 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers left a bad taste in their mouth to start the season. The Seahawks had a chance to win the game as they drove the ball inside the red zone with less than a minute left in the game. 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, however, quickly beat Seahawks right tackle Abraham Lucas to sack quarterback Sam Darnold while forcing and recovering a fumble.

A lot has changed for both teams after that game. The Seahawks (13-3) have to be No. 1 in the NFC behind their explosive offense and elite defense. For the 49ers (12-4), they’ve survived a lot of off-the-field issues and injuries with a chance to win the NFC West Divisional and the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

This Saturday night is a winner-take-all situation for the divisional title and the NFC’s No. 1 seed as the Seahawks host the 49ers. There are a lot of experts impressed with the 49ers due to the low expectations after the issues and injuries. The Seahawks are battle-tested and ready to show they are the team to beat in the NFC.

There are many reasons why Week 18’s outcome will favor the Seahawks as opposed to the 49ers. The first is with Darnold, who has become one of the league’s best redemption stories. Darnold has thrown for 3,850 yards (fifth-most in the league) while also throwing for 25 touchdowns and a passer rating of 99.2. He has accumulated 27 wins, which includes last year’s 14 wins, while he was with the Minnesota Vikings.

In the Week 1 game, Darnold found star wide receiver Jason Smith-Njigba for nine receptions for 124 yards, but no other had more than three receptions or 15 yards. Since then, Darnold has built a great connection to wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed, tight end A.J. Barner, and running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.

The offense, as a whole, went from scoring 13 points in Week 1 to averaging 29.4 points per game, which is second in the league. Seattle had its worst scoring offense of the season against San Francisco.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throwing a pass in the Week 1 game against the San Francisco 49ers. — Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has created one of the most explosive and consistent offenses in the league, thanks to Darnold’s leadership and efficiency, and JSN becoming a serious candidate for the league’s Offensive Player of the Year.

There were high expectations for the Seahawks’ defense, but throughout the season, those expectations were easily shed. The Seahawks remain second in the league in points allowed per game (18.1) as they are stout on every unit on the field. This Seahawks’ defense continued to get better with only two games of questionable play.

The offensive line could play better since they’ve had a full season to develop some habits. The 49ers will also be without Bosa, who is out for the year with the injury. San Francisco comes into this game with the least productive pass rush in the league.

Defensive tackle Leonard Williams, outside linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence, and cornerback Devon Witherspoon have been to the Pro Bowl, but many players who likely could’ve been selected as Pro Bowlers.

Rookie safety/nickel Nick Emmanwori has been getting better as the season progressed, as well as the defensive line, linebacker Ernest Jones IV, and the secondary, with safety Ty Okada filling in as a starter.

The Seahawks’ defense has been efficient in suppressing the 49ers' dynamic running back Christian McCaffrey. Seattle held McCaffrey to only 69 yards on 22 carries for an average of 3.1 yards per carry. The key for the Seahawks is to suppress McCaffrey in the passing game as well.

Seattle is a much-improved team since Week 1 of the season. Despite being in first place in the NFC and winning big games, the Seahawks, somehow, still have the most to prove in Week 18 against the 49ers.

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