An intriguing matchup will be key for Seahawks’ D against Niners

The Seattle Seahawks’ stout defense will be put to the test on Saturday during a winner-take-all showdown against the San Francisco 49ers with the NFC West title and the conference’s No. 1 seed for the playoffs on the line.

Bump: It’s the Seattle Seahawks O-line’s time to shine vs 49ers

The Niners’ offense has been on a red-hot run of late. Over the past three games, the unit is averaging 42.3 points and 455.3 total yards of offense.

But when these teams met all the way back in Week 1, Seattle held San Francisco to 17 points – it’s second-lowest scoring output of the season.

There figures to be several intriguing matchups between Seattle’s defense and San Francisco’s offense on Saturday. Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus explained why rookie defensive back Nick Emmanwori against even-time Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle and nine-time Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk is the one he’ll be watching closely during Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.

“I’m looking at Nick Emmanwori because he’s going to have to cover Kittle. He’s gonna have to cover Juszczyk at times,” Bumpus said. “That first week when … I asked myself the same question (about what is the most intriguing matchup), I said Emmanwori for the same reasons, but Kittle got knocked out of the game early (and) Emmanwori was out after four (defensive) plays, so we didn’t get a chance to see it.”

Emmanwori has proven to be an instrumental part of Mike Macdonald’s defense as the team’s top option at nickel and a jack-of-all-trades chess piece capable of making an impact while lined up all over the field. The South Carolina product is tied for the league lead among rookies with 11 passes defended, despite missing three games. He’s added seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and an interception. And he’s third on the team with 74 total tackles.

PICK 😈 First of his career. #ProBowlVote + @Eman7Nick

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— x – Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 7, 2025

As Bumpus pointed out, both Emmanwori and Kittle were hurt in the Week 1 clash between the division rivals. Emmanwori exited the game just four plays into San Francisco’s first offensive series. And Kittle logged just 21 snaps before his injury, though he still had four receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown before exiting.

Kittle is questionable for Saturday’s game with an ankle injury that kept him out action last week, but it seems likely he’ll find a way to play in such an important matchup. He’s proven to be a thorn in the side of Macdonald’s Seahawks defenses in a small sample size. On top of the TD catch he had in Week 1 of this season, he had two TD receptions in the one Seahawks-Niners meeting he was healthy for last year.

Juszczyk doesn’t touch the ball near as much as Kittle, but San Francisco is known to find ways to sneak its fullback out of the back field for big passing plays. He had a 25-yard catch in the Week 1 game against the Seahawks.

“Emmanwori is going to have to have a big game, and I believe he can have himself a big game,” Bumpus said. “He can rush the quarterback, he’s gonna cover the tight end, he’s going to cover Juszczyk when he releases out of the backfield.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• The Reset: The reasons the Seattle Seahawks will beat the 49ers
• Seahawks-49ers Injury Report: Shaheed to play; Cross ruled out
• Stacy Rost: Defense wins championships? Seahawks are counting on it
• Seahawks safety/special teamer claimed off waivers by Panthers
• Daniel Jeremiah: What’s changed since Seahawks’ Week 1 loss to 49ers

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