2) The pass rush should tip the scales
The Seahawks have one of the best organic passing attacks in the NFL, with five players with 40-plus pressures (most in the NFL). They rank fourth in the NFL in QB pressure rate (38.9 percent) while posting one of the lowest percentages (25th) in the NFL. According to NFL Pro, they rank 11th in non-blitz defensive efficiency and are the best in the NFL in that measure when they blitz, meaning they will cause problems regardless of whether they send extra rushers. That’s bad news for the 49ers, as Purdy and the San Francisco offense have struggled against the blitz this season, ranking 24th in pass efficiency. The proof is in the two meetings, too: Seattle outscored the offense by nearly 2-1 from their first contest to the second and reaped the benefits, forcing an above-expected completion percentage of -4.7 percent on a night where the 49ers couldn’t do much of anything positive on offense.
On the other hand, San Francisco is known to lack pass rush after losing every notable rusher to injury this season. The 49ers rank last in sacks (20), are tied for 29th in interceptions (six) and are the second-worst pressure-generating unit in the NFL at 26.7 percent. However, there are positive indications in their last meeting with Seattle. Despite the lack of a rush rate, San Francisco generated a pressure rate of 36.7 percent in Week 18, a percentage that was higher than Seattle’s 34.4 percent. If they can pressure Sam Darnold — the NFL’s rushing leader in 2025 — they can create bonus opportunities. However, they will have to find a consistent route to the backline, which has been a challenge and could prove key if they fail to do so.
3) Will the Seahawks sit back on the ground or trust Darnold?
Seattle dominated San Francisco both on the scoreboard and emotionally because of how the Seahawks declared their will on the 49ers in Week 18. Kenneth Walker III rushed 16 times for 97 yards and Zach Charbonnet added 74 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in their ground-heavy victory, without his 49 carries to prove. Darnold. It’s a safe bet for a team that has Darnold — a notoriously unreliable, if not disastrous, quarterback in the biggest games who’s also questionable for this contest with an oblique injury — under center. If Seattle wants to insulate Darnold from the scary aspects of a playoff game and protect his health, leaning on Walker and Charbonnet seems like the best way to go. But can it be repeated? San Francisco’s defense — a unit that ranked 11th in run defense in 2025 — allowed Philadelphia just 140 yards rushing during Wild Card Weekend and gave up a 180-yard season in Week 18. They’re trending in the negative just as Seattle’s rushing attack appears to be climbing from a 140-yard weekly average. 10-18. We can guarantee that Robert Saleh knows this and is preparing as well as possible to stop the run, perhaps at any cost. We’ll see if that’s enough to force the Seahawks to return to their weak quarterback — the same quarterback who was sacked nine times and responsible for two turnovers in their last playoff game — to get a win on Saturday.