San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks Divisional Round Preview: Survival Test in Seattle

The San Francisco 49ers’ refuse to quit.

A week after stunning the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in a gritty wild-card upset, the injury-ravaged Niners now head north to Lumen Field for a divisional round showdown with the NFC’s top seed, the Seattle Seahawks. On paper, it’s a daunting task. In reality, it’s a familiar one.

Seattle enters Saturday night rested, healthy by comparison, and favored by a touchdown. San Francisco arrives battered, short-handed, and fresh off another example of how far resilience can carry a team in January.

This matchup comes just two weeks after Seattle held San Francisco to three points in Week 18. That night exposed nearly every flaw San Francisco can’t afford to repeat.

However, the 49ers are coming off a playoff win that required toughness and composure. Kyle Shanahan’s team trailed, absorbed the blow, and still found a way to outlast Philadelphia with two fourth quarter touchdown drives. That win didn’t erase San Francisco’s limitations, but it reinforced that effort and execution can compensate for missing superstars.

San Francisco’s roster reality remains harsh. Brandon Aiyuk has been out all season. Ricky Pearsall missed the wild-card round but could return. Trent Williams continues to manage a nagging hamstring injury. And now, Kittle is gone for good.

If the offense feels undermanned, the defense borders on skeletal.

Nick Bosa has been out since Week 3. Fred Warner hasn’t played since Week 6, though the team opened his practice window this week in a hopeful but cautious step toward a potential NFC Championship return. Tatum Bethune, Nick Martin, and Luke Gifford are all sidelined, forcing defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to rely on depth players and late-season additions.

Still, that group has continued to show up.

San Francisco limited Seattle to 13 points in Week 18 and held Philadelphia to just six points in the second half last weekend. Linebacker Garrett Wallow, signed off Denver’s practice squad during the season, led the team with 11 tackles against the Eagles in his first career postseason start.

Seattle’s offense has its own questions, most notably at quarterback.

Sam Darnold was sensational early in the season, leading the league in QBR through the first ten weeks. Since then, the production has dipped sharply. From Weeks 11–18, Darnold ranked near the bottom of the league in QBR and finished the regular season with an NFL-high 20 turnovers.

Seattle’s offense leans heavily on the passing game, ranking among the league’s most efficient units through the air while sitting near the bottom in rushing efficiency. That imbalance plays into San Francisco’s hands.

As impressive as the defense has been, San Francisco cannot win this game if the offense repeats its Week 18 performance.

Brock Purdy managed just 127 passing yards in that matchup and struggled to push the ball downfield against Seattle’s suffocating defense. The Seahawks rank near the top of the league in EPA per play allowed and are elite against the run, creating a nightmare scenario for a 49ers offense that has been inefficient on the ground all season.

Ball security will matter as much as creativity. San Francisco cannot afford the turnovers that doomed them late in the season, particularly with limited margin for error on the road.

This game likely won’t be pretty.

The Seahawks have the advantage in health, depth, and home field. The 49ers counter with momentum, belief, and a defense that has repeatedly risen to the occasion.

If San Francisco is going to extend its season again, it will require another defensive masterclass, a cleaner offensive performance, and just enough execution to keep pressure on a Seattle team that hasn’t always thrived under it.

Against the odds, the 49ers are still standing. Saturday night will determine whether grit alone can carry them one step further.