Key storylines to watch as Seahawks face 49ers

During their run to a Super Bowl title last season, the Seattle Seahawks delivered a trio of blows to the archrival San Francisco 49ers.

What’s changed for Seahawks and 49ers since January

It began in Week 18, when the Seahawks smothered the Niners 13-3 in a winner-take-all clash for the NFC West crown and the conference’s top seed.

It continued two weeks later, when Seattle obliterated San Francisco 41-6 in a divisional round playoff rout.

And to top it off, the Seahawks hoisted the Lombardi Trophy on the 49ers’ home field and held a cigar-filled championship celebration inside their archrival’s locker room.

That all serves as the backdrop as Seattle (3-1) hosts unbeaten San Francisco (4-0) on Sunday afternoon in the latest showdown between the two bitter rivals.

“None of what happened last year matters,” Seahawks veteran nose tackle Jarran Reed said. “It’s a new year, new season. They’ve got a heck of a group. They’ve put together four good games, won every one of them.

“Just like we have a new team, they have a new team. They’re doing some different things. We have to go out there and do our job.”

Here are a few storylines to watch on Sunday.

The Macdonald-Shanahan chess match

This matchup is a strength-on-strength collision between the 49ers’ sizzling offense and the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense. San Francisco ranks No. 1 in the NFL in yards per play (6.8) and offensive DVOA, while Seattle ranks No. 1 in yards allowed per play (4.0) and defensive DVOA.

It’s also a chess match between two of the NFL’s top play callers, as Seahawks head coach and defensive mastermind Mike Macdonald squares off against 49ers head coach and offensive guru Kyle Shanahan.

Macdonald has decidedly held the upper hand of late, limiting Shanahan’s 49ers to 17 points or fewer in each of their past four matchups. That includes just 3 points and 173 total yards in Week 18 last season, followed by 6 points and 236 yards in the playoff rematch. Those were two of the four lowest point totals of Shanahan’s 10 seasons in San Francisco.

Can Seahawks sack Purdy?

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is off to a torrid start this season, posting a league-best 89.2 QBR while completing 69.9% of his passes for 1,007 yards, 11 touchdowns and only one interception.

Purdy also hasn’t been sacked all season. That makes San Francisco just the fifth team in the Super Bowl era – and the first since 2005 – to not surrender a sack over its first four games of a season.

That’s a tribute to the 49ers’ offensive line, which ranks No. 2 in ESPN’s pass block win rate. It’s also a testament to Purdy’s elusiveness. Purdy has been pressured 41 times without taking a sack. For context, Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence has been pressured 42 times and taken eight sacks.

The Seahawks have one of the NFL’s most fearsome pass rushes, ranking seventh in sacks (11) and No. 1 in ESPN’s pass rush win rate. But they also have allowed the third-most scramble yards (92) to opposing quarterbacks this season, according to Sumer Sports.

How will Juszczyk’s absence impact the matchup?

For the first time since 2022, the 49ers will be without 10-time Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who suffered a knee sprain last week.

Juszczyk’s absence creates a potentially major twist to this matchup. According to Sumer Sports, the 49ers have used “21” personnel – two backs and one tight end – on 40.8% of their snaps this season, which leads the league by a wide margin. And in their two January matchups against Seattle last season, that rate was even higher at 46%.

Backup tight ends Luke Farrell and Brayden Willis could replace some of Juszczyk’s fullback snaps, but it seems likely that Shanahan will deploy “21” personnel less often on Sunday.

Can Seattle’s depleted rushing attack thrive?

The Seahawks ran the ball at will against the 49ers in their two meetings this past January, with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet combining to rush for 307 yards and four touchdowns.

But Walker is now starring for the Kansas City Chiefs, while Charbonnet remains on the physically unable to perform list as he works back from knee surgery. On top of that, the Seahawks are also without rookie first-round draft pick Jadarian Price, who is on injured reserve with a chest injury.

With Price out, Emanuel Wilson figures to receive the bulk of the backfield workload after totaling 120 scrimmage yards and two TDs last week – especially with George Holani listed as questionable with rib and knee injuries.

Meanwhile, the 49ers’ run defense has taken a step forward. Last season, the Niners ranked 25th in DVOA run defense and tied for 14th in yards allowed per carry (4.3). This season, they rank seventh in DVOA run defense and tied for eighth in yards allowed per carry (3.7).

Seattle Seahawks news and more

• Seattle Seahawks Injury Report: Williams set to play; 2 out, 2 questionable
• ‘How about that?’: At long last, Seahawks finding success on screens
• Solak: How Seahawks’ Macdonald has ‘big edge’ over 49ers’ Shanahan

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