The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are set for a high-stakes showdown in the NFC Divisional Round this Saturday - their third and most meaningful meeting of the season. These two NFC West rivals have split their regular-season matchups, with each team landing a win in dramatically different fashion. But now, with the playoffs in full swing, the stakes are sky-high and the storylines are rich with intrigue.
In Week 2 of the 2025 season, the 49ers edged out the Seahawks 17-13 in a tightly contested battle. Fast forward to the season finale, and Seattle flipped the script, delivering a 13-3 win to clinch the division crown.
That win wasn’t just about bragging rights - it was a statement, and it’s one that San Francisco hasn’t forgotten. Now, with everything on the line, the 49ers are looking for payback.
But if you ask former Seahawks great Richard Sherman, this is more than just a revenge game - it’s a chess match between two coaches, and Seattle might just have the upper hand.
Sherman, a cornerstone of the Seahawks’ legendary Legion of Boom, didn’t mince words when discussing the coaching battle between San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and Seattle’s Mike Macdonald. On his podcast, Sherman pointed to Macdonald’s history of giving Shanahan fits - not just this season, but dating back to Macdonald’s days as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator.
“Outside of a few drives in that game,” Sherman said, referring to the 49ers’ offense in their last meeting, “this San Francisco 49ers offense didn’t show that they could figure this defense out. Mike Macdonald has given Kyle Shanahan problems everywhere he's been.”
That’s not just talk - it’s backed by results. Macdonald, who took over in Seattle in January 2024, has quickly built a reputation for crafting disciplined, disruptive defenses.
His units don’t just bend - they frustrate. During his tenure with the Ravens from 2022 to 2023, Shanahan’s offense struggled to find rhythm against Macdonald’s schemes.
That pattern may be repeating itself in Seattle, where Macdonald has led the Seahawks to a 24-10 record since his arrival.
But while the coaching duel is a compelling subplot, all eyes will be on the quarterback position - particularly Seattle’s Sam Darnold, who’s facing both the opportunity of a lifetime and the challenge of a nagging oblique injury that has his status for Saturday in question.
Sherman, for one, believes this could be Darnold’s defining moment.
“If somehow the San Francisco 49ers get ahead in this game, I think the pressure builds, and the level is through the roof really quickly,” Sherman said. “I think this could be a big-time moment for Sam Darnold to show who he is, to be the big-time quarterback that this franchise believes he can be.”
Darnold, who’s had an up-and-down career, has a chance to flip the narrative and prove he can deliver under the brightest lights. Sherman encouraged him to be aggressive - not reckless, but confident - especially knowing he has one of the league’s top defenses behind him.
“I believe Sam Darnold is going to feel that, ‘Hey, I can be a little bit more aggressive with the football in this game,’” Sherman added. “And know that, ‘Hey, we got one of the best defenses in the National Football League backing me up.’”
The 49ers, meanwhile, are coming off a gutsy come-from-behind win over the Eagles in the Wild Card round - a reminder that they’re never out of a fight. But if Macdonald’s defense can once again disrupt Shanahan’s rhythm, and if Darnold is healthy enough to push the ball downfield, Seattle could be poised to punch its ticket to the NFC Championship.
This one’s got all the ingredients: divisional bad blood, elite coaching minds, and a quarterback with something to prove. Buckle up - this should be a fun one.