Can the 49ers get their revenge against the Seahawks?

The Seattle Seahawks are hosting their bitter rivals, the 49ers, in the Divisional round of the playoffs. The two teams met in week 18, with the Seahawks winning 13-3. With this win, the Seahawks clinched the number one overall seed in the NFC at 14-3. The 49ers fell to the six seed at 12-5.

The Seahawks made some major moves this offseason. They traded away quarterback Geno Smith to the Raiders and signed Sam Darnold to be their starter. Darnold has shined in his first season with the Seahawks. He was fifth in the league with 4,048 yards and ninth in touchdowns with 25. However, he did finish third in the league with 14 interceptions.

The Seahawks defense has been the stars of the season. They allow the lowest points per game with 17.2, and have the third best rushing defense, allowing 91.9 yards per game. They also are great at forcing turnovers, averaging 1.6 per game.

The best part about the Seahawks defense is that everyone is contributing. They have four players who have at least six sacks on the season. Ernest Jones IV has five picks on the season, Coby Bryant has four, and Demarcus Lawrence led the league with three fumbles recovered.

However, the 49ers are coming in much more prepared. Despite losing George Kittle with an injury, the 49ers offense looked confident against the Eagle in the first round. Running back Christian McCaffrey had 114 total yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner. Demarcus Robinson had 111 receiving yards, the most he has had all season.

The Seahawks did shut down McCaffrey last time they met. In week 18, McCaffrey had 57 total yards compared to the week 1 matchup against the Seahawks where he had 142.

With a win Saturday, the 49ers would advance to their fifth NFC Conference Championship for the fifth time in the last seven years. However, despite the success the team has still not won a Super Bowl within this span. With the rest of the NFC on the rise, it may only be a matter of time before the 49ers’ window starts to close.

About the Author Published Jan 15, 2026

CAMERON JOYCE

Cameron Joyce is an NCAAF, NFL, NHL, and MLB beat writer for Ball Exclusives. Cameron also previously worked at The University of Alabama's newspaper, "The Crimson White," covering volleyball and baseball.