A playoff war ignites as Seahawks face 49ers with everything on the line. Expect roaring crowds and high stakes in this pivotal NFC showdown.
This is the one Seattle’s been waiting for, and it’s been a long wait.
When the Seattle Seahawks host the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night, it won’t just be a playoff game; it’ll be the Seahawks’ first home postseason game in five years, and the first one with fans in the building in nine.
That alone guarantees chaos.
Add the No. 1 seed, a divisional rival, and a Saturday night kickoff at Lumen Field, and you’ve got something bordering on unhinged. And Seattle wouldn’t have it any other way.
Despite the magnitude, quarterback Sam Darnold insists the approach hasn’t changed.
“We’re treating it as just another week, another game,” Darnold said. “We don’t get it twisted… but we’re attacking the week per usual.”
That’s easy to say. Harder to do when 70,000 people are actively trying to rupture a sound meter.
Defensive tackle Jarran Reed is counting on that noise.
“We need it loud so the Dark Side can come alive,” he said, referencing a Seahawks defense that just held San Francisco to three points and 173 total yards in Week 18 - their worst offensive showing under Kyle Shanahan.
That domination won’t repeat cleanly. Shanahan will adjust. Left tackle Trent Williams returns. But the 49ers will be without George Kittle, a loss that matters in both the run game and the red zone.
For Seattle, the formula is deceptively simple: don’t help the opponent.
The Seahawks scored the third-most points in the NFL but also committed 28 turnovers, second-most in the league. When they protected the ball - like in Week 18 - they controlled the game. When they didn’t, they invited trouble.
The good news? The run game is peaking at the perfect time.
Seattle rushed for 171, 163, and 180 yards in its final three regular-season games, giving Darnold breathing room and shortening games the Seahawks want to grind.
Ultimately, this one will come down to situational football - third downs, red zone finishes, and who blinks first when possessions shrink.
Seattle has the crowd. San Francisco has the pedigree.
Saturday night decides who has the edge ... and who goes home hearing Lumen Field in their nightmares.