Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald didn’t waste time pretending the 49ers are anything other than a problem.
“They are a good team”
That much is obvious from the numbers. San Francisco comes in at 4-0 with the NFL’s fourth-ranked offense, rolling up 389.7 yards per game. Brock Purdy is right in the middle of it, and he’s putting together another big season: 79 completions on 113 attempts for 1,007 yards, 11 touchdowns and only one interception.
Macdonald pointed to the way the 49ers keep drives on track and keep defenses from dictating terms.
“Good team football; they’re running the ball, they’re staying ahead of schedule, limited third downs. When they throw it, they’re playing on time. There haven’t been many occasions where there are people unaccounted for for the quarterback, and when there has been, he’s gotten rid of the ball,’ said Macdonald.
He added, “ We spoke about how he’s been able to extend plays and take care of the football and still have that element of creativity and playmaking that keeps the ball moving forward. They’ve been doing a great job.”
Sunday sets up as a strength-on-strength matchup: San Francisco’s 7th-ranked offense against Seattle’s top-ranked defense. The two teams know each other well, down to the personnel and the tendencies.
Beyond Purdy, the 49ers’ offense is being driven by wide receiver Mike Evans, who has 17 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns.
For Seattle’s defense, the next step is clear. The group has to keep the same upward momentum while cleaning up the mistakes that showed up in last Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The Seahawks were whistled for 14 penalties and 150 yards, but they also posted a season-high four sacks, two interceptions and 10 quarterback hits, another season best.
The splash plays are there. The discipline has to catch up fast, especially with San Francisco looking for payback after last season’s Divisional Playoff loss to Seattle.
The run game is another piece Seattle is trying to stabilize. In the 30-23 win over the Chargers, the Seahawks piled up 138 rushing yards, their second-best total of the season behind the 162 they put up against the Arizona Cardinals in Week Two.
Even with that production, Seattle kept looking for help in the backfield. Former All-Pro Joe Mixon worked out with the team on Monday and left without a contract. Then on Wednesday, the Seahawks signed Robert Henry Jr. from the Washington Commanders’ practice squad and added Dontae MacMillan to the practice squad.
Both are undrafted free agents from this year’s draft. Henry had been with Washington and MacMillan with the Baltimore Ravens. Henry was seen returning punts, and he told reporters he was living in the playbook to get ready for Sunday’s game with the Chargers.
Seattle will need a back who can be efficient, because the 49ers enter the week ranked 11th against the run and allowing 99 yards per game.
In Other News...
Seahawks Offense Has A Clear Weak Spot They Need To Fix
The Seahawks have found something real when they lean into heavier personnel packages, the kind that put fewer wide receivers on the field and ask the offense to play with more muscle. In those looks, the unit has graded well in EPA per play, success rate and explosive play rate, which helps explain why the group can look so much sharper when it is built to run through balance instead of spacing alone.
The trouble comes when Seattle gets lighter and spreads the field with three or more receivers, where the offense has not been nearly as efficient and the third-down work has lagged. Fixing that split is the next step, and one obvious way to do it is to get cleaner answers against the blitz, since more reliable pressure-beating execution could keep the Seahawks from getting pushed into the same predictable passing situations that have slowed them down. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Face A Huge Week 18 Defensive Concern
With Week 18 looming, the Seahawks are still sorting through a defense that already had plenty on its plate before the injury report complicated matters. Seattle and San Francisco both came into the week with notable names either limited or absent from practice, and the list includes impact players on both sides as the teams work toward Sundays matchup.
For Seattle, the concern is especially pointed because the defensive front has been tracking a few key statuses all week. Leonard Williams was unable to practice after opening the week in a limited role, and Chazz Surratt was one of the Seahawks two DNPs while several others either remained limited or were getting rest. The final injury report should bring some clarity, but for now the Seahawks are waiting to see how much of their defense will actually be available. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Defense Is About To Face Its Biggest Test Yet
Brock Purdy has opened the 2026 season in elite form, pushing the 49ers to a 4-0 start while sitting near the top of the league in passer rating, passing success rate and expected points added per dropback. Through four games, he has also been among the most efficient quarterbacks the NFL has seen in the 21st century, and he heads into Week 5 tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns as San Francisco prepares for a divisional trip to Seattle.
The challenge waiting for him is a Seahawks defense that has spent the first month of the season looking like one of the leagues most disruptive units. Seattle leads the NFL in several defensive categories and has been especially effective at generating pressure on early downs without leaning heavily on the blitz, a formula that has made this matchup one of the more interesting tests on the schedule. For the Seahawks, the next step is simple enough to define and much harder to pull off: make Purdy play from inside the pocket under real heat and see whether his start can keep rolling. [Read more 🡒]