What to know about Seahawks-49ers divisional round matchup

Get ready for Seahawks-49ers part three.

A matchup that bookended the regular season will see a rubber match in the NFC’s divisional round on Saturday.

Date, potential start times set for Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers

What’s different this time?

No George Kittle this time around, but Trent Williams is back.

San Francisco’s star tight end suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles, a devastating loss for a team that’s already short several star players. In two games against the Seahawks this season, Kittle has caught 9 of 11 targets for 54 yards and a touchdown.

The Seahawks’ already devastating pass rush got a shot at a 49ers offensive line without 12-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring) in Week 18, but he made his return against the Eagles. But Seattle is healthier, too, returning safety Coby Bryant and potentially rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo.

The 49ers are still waiting on linebacker Fred Warner; there was hope he could return during the team’s playoff run, but it sure doesn’t sound like that’ll be this weekend.

Kyle Shanahan said chances are "not very high" that the 49ers open Fred Warner's practice window this week.

— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) January 12, 2026

A key stat

The 49ers were the NFL’s best offense on third down this year, converting on 50% of all attempts (for comparison, Seattle was 17th at 39% while the Rams were 20th at 39.5%). That held true for Sunday’s Wild Card win — the 49ers converted 6 of 11 (55%) against Philly.

The Seahawks defense is ranked No. 1 on third down. It’s another meeting of two strengths, and it’s one Seattle won handily in Week 18, limiting the 49ers to just 22%.

The question

Yes, we’re all wondering how Sam Darnold will fare in his second career playoff start, but can Seattle continue its success in the run game? That will be critical for its path to the Super Bowl.

That part of the offense, inconsistent through long stretches to start the season, has taken off over the last month. Three of the Seahawks’ top four days on the ground have been Weeks 16-18. Their 180 yards on the ground in their second meeting against the 49ers kept the trend going, and the 49ers are coming off a game in which they gave 140 on the ground with their longest play allowed on the day being a 29-yard run from Saquon Barkley.

How have other teams fared in third meetings?

Two teams played for a third time last year in the NFC Championship game when the Eagles and Commanders met having split their season record. The Eagles won and advanced to win Super Bowl LIX.

The Seahawks last hosted the 49ers in a playoff game in Seattle in the 2013 NFC Championship game. We all know what happened in that game (and in the one that followed).

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• How Schneider built Seattle Seahawks back into a title contender
• Seattle Seahawks to host NFC West rival 49ers in divisional round
• What’s helped the Seattle Seahawks’ surging run game get untracked
• Seahawks match franchise record with 5 All-Pro selections
• Seattle Seahawks’ DB duo is something no other defense has

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