Niners Nation
The stage is set. Saturday night, the San Francisco 49ers will take the field in their rivalry uniforms with a chance to secure the number one seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Standing in the way is a familiar foe in the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers offense is on an absolute heater, and the Seahawks defense presents a very interesting challenge. Mike MacDonald’s defense ranks near the top in many statistical categories and is the equivalent of Kyle Shanahan’s offense in terms of effectiveness and creativity.
This game has the makings of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.
Here are three things to watch for on Saturday night:
There won’t be much blitzing on Saturday
The Seahawks defense generates pressure at the fourth-highest rate (34.3%), but ranks 26th in blitz rate at 24.5%. Simply put, Seattle can get home with four and can simulate pressure looks to disrupt a quarterback’s timing and muddy his progressions with disguises. When Seattle does blitz, its defense ranks second in the NFL with a defensive EPA of -0.12.
On the flip side, the 49ers rank dead last in blitz rate and 31st in the NFL with a pressure rate of 22.6%. Robert Saleh plans to disguise coverages, bend, but don’t break, and make stops in the red zone. Hopefully, the disguises lead to some Sam Darnold turnovers, which the 49ers must convert into touchdowns.
Strength vs strength
The 49ers’ red zone offense has been amazing in 2025. With a league-high EPA in the red zone of 0.21, the 49ers have flipped the script from last season and have been scorching of late. The 49ers also lead the NFL in late-game success rate at 55.9%.
As you might have guessed, the Seahawks rank second in the NFL in red-zone defensive EPA (- 0.18) and second in late-game defensive success rate at 39.6%. Who is going to blink on Saturday night?
Can Christian McCaffrey keep it rolling on the ground?
The 49ers’ workhorse looked rejuvenated last Sunday night, and it could be due to the late bye week. With the chance of rain in the forecast, the much-improved rushing attack of the 49ers will have to keep it going to remain on schedule from a down-and-distance perspective. The issue? Seattle’s defense is stingy against the run. The Seahawks rank second in the NFL against inside runs with an EPA of -0.20 and first against outside runs at -0.19.
Brock Purdy has been on fire lately, and the running game has kicked into gear, but it might be tough sledding Saturday night.
