Can the 49ers claim another big win against Seattle and add to the illustrious history between the two NFC West rivals?
The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks have defined the NFC West for much of the past decade and a half, forging one of the NFL’s most intense rivalries.
While their regular-season clashes are annual events filled with drama and emotion, their playoff history since 2010 is surprisingly brief.
Yet every postseason meeting between these two franchises has carried enormous weight, and this weekend, they will meet once again with another chapter ready to be written.
Their first playoff encounter of the modern era came in the 2013 NFC Championship Game, a showdown that felt like the rivalry's peak.
Jim Harbaugh’s rugged, defense-first 49ers traveled to Seattle to face Pete Carroll’s emerging powerhouse Seahawks.
The game lived up to its billing, delivering a physical, tightly contested battle that swung on a handful of critical moments.
Seattle ultimately escaped with a 23–17 victory, sealing the win on a now-legendary end zone deflection by Richard Sherman that ended San Francisco’s Super Bowl hopes.
That play not only sent the Seahawks to Super Bowl XLVIII but also symbolized a shift in NFC dominance. For the 49ers, the loss marked the end of a championship window that had been open for three straight seasons.
Nearly a decade later, the rivalry resurfaced in the postseason during the 2022 Wild Card round.
This time, the setting was Levi’s Stadium, and the 49ers entered as a rising force behind a talented roster and a rookie quarterback in Brock Purdy.
Seattle kept things close early, but San Francisco’s depth and physicality eventually took over.
The 49ers pulled away in the second half, rolling to a 41–23 win that showcased the evolution of the rivalry.
Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel stressed Seattle’s defense from every angle, while San Francisco’s pass rush created turnovers that flipped the game.
The victory reinforced the 49ers’ return as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Now, the two teams are set to meet once again this weekend, adding another postseason chapter to a rivalry that thrives on high stakes.
While the playoff history between San Francisco and Seattle is limited in quantity, it has been rich in consequence.
Each meeting has felt like more than just a win or a loss; it has been a turning point for the direction of both franchises.
As the 49ers and Seahawks prepare to collide yet again, the context feels familiar. Pride, legacy, and championship aspirations are once more on the line.
When these rivals meet in January, history tends to follow, and this weekend promises to add another defining moment to one of the NFL’s most compelling rivalries.