{"id":648132,"date":"2026-01-02T13:09:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T13:09:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/648132\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T13:09:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T13:09:19","slug":"49ers-5-keys-to-victory-against-seahawks-for-nfcs-top-seed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/648132\/","title":{"rendered":"49ers’ 5 keys to victory against Seahawks for NFC’s top seed"},"content":{"rendered":"

SANTA CLARA \u2014 Tatum Bethune can\u2019t recall exactly what he was doing on Dec. 29, 2019<\/a>, other than just having finished his freshman season as an 18-year-old linebacker at the University of Central Florida.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s well-versed, however, on what went down across the country that night in Seattle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw it 100 times on film already,\u201d Bethune said this week of linebacker Dre Greenlaw\u2019s goal-line tackle that preserved the 49ers\u2019 26-21 victory over the Seahawks and clinched the NFC playoffs\u2019 No. 1 seed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey always bring that up and show us,\u201d Bethune said. \u201cHe had a perfect coverage drop, saw it coming and made a huge play. It\u2019s teach-tape, honestly. That\u2019s why we see it all the time in the meeting room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another milestone moment is afoot in the 49ers-Seahawks rivalry, again with the No. 1 seed on the line Saturday night at Levi\u2019s Stadium.<\/p>\n

\"FireworksFireworks explode in the sky during the playing of the national anthem before their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

The 49ers (12-4) and the Seahawks (13-3) each enter on a six-game win streak. Only one will emerge with the NFC West title and the top-seed\u2019s bye in next weekend\u2019s wild-card round.<\/p>\n

Should the 49ers lose, they\u2019ll be either the Nos. 5 or 6 seed, depending on how the Los Angeles Rams (11-5) fare against the Arizona Cardinals (3-13). The 49ers would stay in the No. 5 slot if both they and the Rams lose.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity for us,\u201d said Bethune, who replaced the injured Fred Warner in Week 6. \u201cNobody thought we\u2019d be here. I remember around the trade deadline, we didn\u2019t do anything, everybody thought the season was over, but everybody in this locker room we knew what we could do and we\u2019re doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are five ways to do it like 2019 and top Seattle:<\/p>\n

\"SanSan Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams walks on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo\/Eakin Howard)\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. WIN IN THE TRENCHES<\/p>\n

Left tackle Trent Williams<\/a> is questionable with a hamstring strain, which could thrust Austen Pleasants into his starting debut. Pleasants impressed, other that a sack and third-down pressure, once Williams exited after the first snap of Sunday\u2019s 42-38 win over Chicago.<\/p>\n

However, the Seahawks have a much more ferocious defensive front than the Bears.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir whole D-line is violent,\u201d tight end George Kittle said. \u201cWhether it\u2019s run or pass, you see offensive linemen on the ground being thrown around the entire time. Not every D-line is like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kittle, after missing last game with an ankle injury, should help bracket the line and block when needed.<\/p>\n

Anchoring Seattle\u2019s line are two Pro Bowlers: Leonard Williams and Demarcus Lawrence, who\u2019ve combined for 13 sacks, 41 quarterback hits and 20 tackles for loss.<\/p>\n

\"SanSan Francisco 49ers\u2019 Christian McCaffrey (23) runs with the ball against the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter of their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Chicago Bears 42-38. (Jose Carlos Fajardo\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. MONITOR McCAFFREY<\/p>\n

Christian McCaffrey is having an MVP-caliber season, but he\u2019s also having back issues. That was evident before Sunday\u2019s final touchdown drive, and he was kept out of Tuesday\u2019s practice. He looked fine in the ensuing two walk-through practices, so don\u2019t expect much from Brian Robinson and rookie Jordan James unless urgently required.<\/p>\n

As hot as Purdy is, McCaffrey remains the offense\u2019s catalyst and his ability to move the ball as both a rusher and receiver is critical for extending drives. The 49ers opened in Seattle with a 14-play, 95-yard touchdown drive to ignite a win that was otherwise marred by a Kittle hamstring injury and Jake Moody\u2019s two missed field goals in his final appearance.<\/p>\n

Seattle has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in a franchise-record 25 consecutive games, the NFL\u2019s longest active streak. Only two rushing touchdowns have breached the Seahawks defense the past five games.<\/p>\n

McCaffrey is coming off back-to-back 100-yard games, and with 1,179 rushing yards already, he is 110 receiving yards shy of 1,000.<\/p>\n

\"SEATTLE,SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 23: Jaxon Smith-Njigba #11 of the Seattle Seahawks hauls in a one-handed catch in front of Deommodore Lenoir #2 of the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter at Lumen Field on November 23, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers\/Getty Images)\u00a0<\/p>\n

3. BLANKET JSN<\/p>\n

Jaxon Smith-Njigba<\/a> torched the 49ers\u2019 for 124 yards on nine catches in the opener, and he\u2019s now the NFL\u2019s receiving yards leader at 1,709 yards, with 113 receptions on 155 targets.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know\u00a0Njigba is probably the star of it all, but they\u2019re all touching it and they\u2019re all effective, so they\u2019re much improved from Week 1,\u201d defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t expect No. 1 cornerback Deommodore Lenoir to travel wherever Smith-Njigba roams, because that could compromise other defensive assignments on a unit that certainly floundered last Sunday against the Bears\u2019 Caleb Williams (330 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, no sacks).<\/p>\n

Seahawks tight end A.J. Barner has a touchdown in each of the past two games and has 50 catches for 505 yards this season. Former Rams stalwart Cooper Kupp also has over 500 yards but just two touchdowns on 45 catches.<\/p>\n

Such production takes pressure off running backs<\/a> Kenneth Walker III (930 yards, five touchdowns) and Zach Charbonnet (656 yards, 11 touchdowns).<\/p>\n

\"SanSan Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, left, and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, right, talk before an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo\/Lindsey Wasson)\u00a0A.P. photo<\/p>\n

4. PRESSURE DARNOLD<\/p>\n

The 49ers escaped Seattle with a Week 1 win only after Nick Bosa managed a strip-sack and fumble recovery from the 49ers\u2019 9-yard line in the final minute. Bosa exited two weeks later with a season-ending knee injury, and, essentially, the 49ers\u2019 pass rush has been bone dry with no sacks in four of their past nine games.<\/p>\n

Darnold, however, could still be had, and he\u2019s lost six fumbles this season. A well-liked backup on the 2023 49ers, Darnold will be looking to finish stronger than he did last season in Minnesota, when he completed just 18-of-41 passes for 166 yards in a 31-9 loss at Detroit before committing two turnovers in their wild-card playoff loss at the Rams.<\/p>\n

Seahawks\u2019 left tackle Charles Cross is out with a hamstring injury, and Josh Jones (ankle, knee) is questionable after two straight starts in place of Cross.<\/p>\n

Bryce Huff has gone seven straight games without a sack, he has just one quarterback hit in the past three games, and he let Williams step free of a potential last-snap sack Sunday.<\/p>\n

\"SanSan Francisco 49ers kicker Eddy Pineiro (18) kicks a fieldgoal against the Tennessee Titans in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

5. SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS<\/p>\n

So often in this rivalry, a field goal or a return proves critical. The 49ers overcame Moody\u2019s two missed field goals last matchup, and that triggered Eddy Pi\u00f1eiro\u2019s arrival as a kicking savior.<\/p>\n

While Pi\u00f1eiro is 27-of-28 on field-goal attempts, his kickoffs also will be key, especially as Seahawks\u2019 return specialist Rashid Shaeed is cleared from last game\u2019s concussion. Shaheed\u2019s punt-return touchdown sparked their overtime win over the Rams on Dec. 18, and he also has a 100-yard kick return score this season.<\/p>\n

Seattle\u2019s special teams unit ranks first in ESPN\u2019s analytics; the 49ers\u2019 ranks seventh. Seahawks kicker Jason Myers has made all 18 of his field-goal attempts the past six games, and he\u2019s converted all 47 point-after tries this season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SANTA CLARA \u2014 Tatum Bethune can\u2019t recall exactly what he was doing on Dec. 29, 2019, other than…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":648133,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2080],"tags":[220,2947,1926,1443,7,1921,929,6,1161,252,2624,2623,7910,1929,261,1930,9],"class_list":{"0":"post-648132","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-francisco-49ers","8":"tag-49ers","9":"tag-49ers-hq","10":"tag-bay-area","11":"tag-california","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-inside-sports","14":"tag-latest-headlines","15":"tag-nfl","16":"tag-san-francisco","17":"tag-san-francisco-49ers","18":"tag-sanfrancisco","19":"tag-sanfrancisco49ers","20":"tag-santa-clara","21":"tag-santa-clara-county","22":"tag-seattle-seahawks","23":"tag-south-bay","24":"tag-sports"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115825670080691320","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=648132"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648132\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/648133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=648132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=648132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=648132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}