As the Seattle Seahawks prepare to host the San Francisco 49ers in this weekend’s playoff showdown, the oddsmakers may see a clear favorite-but Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young sees something else entirely: danger.
“I would hate to play the 49ers right now just because they're playing with house money,” Young said during an appearance on KNBR. “They're loose, they're excited, they're confident, like, good luck.”
And honestly, he might be onto something.
Yes, Seattle earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC, earned a week of rest, and just wrapped up the regular season with a win over these very same 49ers in Week 18. On paper, they have the edge.
But postseason football isn’t played on paper. It’s played in the margins-where confidence, momentum, and resilience often matter just as much as talent.
The 49ers are coming off a gritty road win in Philadelphia, where they outlasted the Eagles in a Wild Card slugfest. That game wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t easy-especially after losing star tight end George Kittle to injury-but it was the kind of win that can galvanize a team.
San Francisco has been battered by injuries all season, but somehow, they’re still standing. And that’s what makes them so dangerous.
This team has nothing to lose. They’ve already exceeded expectations just by getting to this point.
That kind of freedom-playing without the weight of expectation-can be a powerful weapon. They’re not supposed to win.
But they believe they can, and that belief is backed by a locker room that’s been through the fire and come out tougher for it.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks are in a different spot. They’ve earned the top seed, they’ve had time to rest and prepare, and now they have to prove they’re worthy of the hype.
That’s a different kind of pressure. The kind that can make a team tighten up if things don’t go according to plan.
Seattle’s head coach, Mike Macdonald, is steering this ship into uncharted waters. It’s his first playoff game at the helm, and while he’s done an impressive job this season, the postseason is a different animal.
Across the field, Kyle Shanahan has been here before. He knows what it takes to win in January, and his team reflects that experience-even if they’re limping into this one.
Then there’s the quarterback situation. Sam Darnold did enough to help Seattle beat the Niners in Week 18, but it was the defense that carried the day.
Darnold didn’t make any critical mistakes, but he also didn’t have to put the game on his shoulders. That might change this weekend.
If the 49ers can keep it close into the fourth quarter, the pressure will shift squarely onto Darnold’s shoulders. And that’s where things could get interesting.
The Niners don’t need to dominate. They just need to hang around, keep the game within striking distance, and wait for a break.
Maybe it’s a turnover. Maybe it’s a special teams play.
Maybe it’s just a moment of hesitation from a team that’s supposed to win. That’s how upsets happen.
Make no mistake: the Seahawks are the better-rested, better-seeded team. But the 49ers are the looser, grittier, more battle-tested group. And in the playoffs, that combination has a way of flipping the script.
Seattle may have the advantage on paper. But if Steve Young is right-and the 49ers are playing with house money-then the Seahawks better be ready. Because the most dangerous team in the postseason is often the one with nothing left to lose.