NFL

The 49ers must start hot to pull off the upset in Seattle

ballervisions 2026年1月17日

They met in the season opener – a 17-13 49ers victory.

With the 1 seed in the NFC on the line, they met at the end of the regular season – a 13-3 Seahawks victory.

Now the 49ers and Seahawks meet for the last time in a perfect scenario – win or go home.

On the first drive, Brock Purdy led the game-winning drive, culminating in a Christian McCaffrey touchdown with 2:54 left, as Nick Bosa beat Sam Darnold on the ensuing possession.

The second meeting came 17 weeks later and was nothing like the first. As injuries eventually took their toll, the 49ers’ offense was anemic against Seattle’s elite defense. Darnold and the running game did enough to pull out a 13-3 win.

Now comes the rubber match.

Here are three key storylines that will determine who heads to the NFC championship game

49ers changes

Considered one of the best coaches in the league, Kyle Shanahan has proven to excel in game-by-game preparation throughout his nine years in the Bay Area.

In games where they have played the same team twice in a month, Shanahan is 5-3 in those rematches. In games where they have played the same team twice in three games, Shanahan is 3-0. The latter is what he will face this weekend after San Francisco lost two weeks ago to the Seahawks, before taking on Philadelphia in the Wild Card round last weekend.

“We just played them two weeks ago, so when you look back at another game plan and have it fresh in your mind,” Purdy said. “Pick it up where you left off and obviously make changes where you need to. But yeah, it feels like we just played.”

In the most recent meeting, Purdy and the offense were completely stymied by Seattle’s top defense (No. 1 in points allowed, No. 6 in total yards allowed). Purdy threw for 127 yards and a touchdown while McCaffrey was limited to 57 total yards (23 rushing on eight carries).

Having All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams and second-year receiver Ricky Pearsall (listed as questionable but expected to play) should bolster the offense. How Shanahan uses this opportunity to get healthy will be what follows.

Darnold’s life

By far the most interesting story that came out in the week leading up to the game is Darnold’s life.

A very late addition to the injury report, Darnold was listed as questionable for the game following a hamstring injury he suffered that day.

Speaking to reporters after practice, Darnold said it’s “closer to that percentage” that he won’t play against his teammates.

“I felt like I had a little something in my oblique,” Darnold said. “I just didn’t want to push it, it wasn’t a day to push it. It just happened. I just went in, got the fix, and felt like I’d be ready to play on Saturday.”

Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak wasn’t sure, refusing to talk about Darnold’s health when asked and referring all questions to head coach Mike Macdonald. Although he admitted that backup quarterback Drew Lock took some snaps in practice.

“We had a really good practice,” he said. “Drew got some reps there and did a really good job. A lot of confidence in Drew. (He’s been) really impressive throughout OTAs and training camp, and his role.”

Darnold is coming off the second-best season of his career, in which he threw for 4,084 yards and 25 touchdowns, while his 67.7 completion percentage was a career-best.

Early lead

Although getting the No. 1 seed is often seen as an advantage because it gives the team a week off, there is always that little bit of rust that needs to be ironed out before settling into the game.

That’s why it’s important for the 49ers to take advantage of last week’s play and get off to a fast start on Saturday.

Forcing Seattle to play from behind means the Seahawks will have to rely on Darnold to win them the game. He led the league with 20 turnovers (14 interceptions, six lost fumbles) this year and has yet to show when the lights are on.

In the two biggest games of the 2024-25 season, when he was with the Vikings – week 18 against Detroit and the Wild Card round vs. And when Seattle beat the 49ers in Week 18 this year, he only threw for 198 yards and no touchdowns.