The San Francisco 49ers take their unbeaten record to Lumen Field on Sunday for a 49ers vs Seahawks NFC West showdown that carries first place in the division. San Francisco enters at 4-0, Seattle sits at 3-1, and the winner takes real separation in what CBS Sports has described as the most competitive divisional race in the league this season.
Sunday marks the first meeting between these two since the Seahawks routed the 49ers 41-6 in last season’s divisional playoff round, a game that followed a 13-3 regular-season finale loss for San Francisco that cost the team the division. Seattle went on to win the Super Bowl that year on San Francisco’s home field. The Seahawks still lead the all-time series 33-24, but a 49ers win Sunday would give San Francisco tie-breaking victories over both Seattle and the Los Angeles Rams and open a multi-game cushion atop the NFC West.
49ers safety Malik Mustapha did not downplay the stakes or the history. “Everyone knows what it is. Everyone knows the mindset going into it. We don’t like them, and we have to go after it and get the job done,” Mustapha said, according to CBS Sports.
49ers Vs Seahawks Game Information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 11
- Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
- Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
- TV: Fox
- Weather: 59 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation
By The Numbers
- Record: 49ers 4-0, Seahawks 3-1
- Points per game: 49ers 30.5, Seahawks 26.3
- Passing yards per game: 49ers 251.8, Seahawks 249.0
- Rushing yards per game: 49ers 137.3, Seahawks 110.3
- Third-down conversion rate: 49ers 57.50%, Seahawks 31.11%
- Red zone touchdown rate: 49ers 84.62%, Seahawks 56.25%
- Turnover differential: 49ers plus-1, Seahawks plus-3
- Penalties/penalty yards: 49ers 17-173, Seahawks 35-327
- Sacks allowed: 49ers 0, Seahawks 6
49ers Outlook
San Francisco has outscored opponents by averaging 30.5 points a game while allowing the second fewest plays of 20 yards or more in the league, just six through four contests. Quarterback Brock Purdy has thrown 11 touchdowns against a single interception and has not been sacked all season, a credit to an offensive line Sports Illustrated called the best unit in the NFL this year.
Christian McCaffrey has rushed for 218 yards and four touchdowns on 50 carries, while George Kittle has hauled in 16 catches for 244 yards and four scores. Mike Evans is listed as questionable with a ribs injury and, per Sports Illustrated, will not be fully healthy but is still expected to have a notable impact if he suits up. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk (knee) and safety Marques Sigle (ankle) have both been ruled out, while cornerback Upton Stout (shoulder) and defensive tackle James Thompson Jr., listed as doubtful with an ankle sprain, round out San Francisco’s questionable list.
Seahawks Outlook
Seattle has won three straight games while scoring at least 30 points in each, one shy of the franchise record last reached in 2020. Sam Darnold has thrown for 560 yards and six touchdowns, and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the NFL with six touchdown catches and ranks third with 481 receiving yards. Smith-Njigba is one of only two players league-wide with at least five catches and 75 yards receiving in every game this season.
Seattle’s defense has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 33 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL, and the Seahawks are holding opponents to 28.6% on third down. Running back Zach Charbonnet is expected to return to a backfield that signed Robert Henry Jr. this week after working out several options, according to Yahoo Sports, which noted the group has lacked explosiveness relative to the scheme around it. Seattle’s bigger issue has been discipline: the Seahawks have been flagged 35 times for 327 yards, third most in the league, including 14 penalties for 150 yards last week against the Chargers.
Defensive players reportedly held a meeting this week to address the issue, per Yahoo Sports. Cornerbacks Julian Neal and Nehemiah Pritchett, defensive tackle Leonard Williams and running back George Holani are all listed as questionable.
Key Matchup: Purdy Against Macdonald’s Scheme
The central matchup Sunday is Purdy against Seattle coach Mike Macdonald’s defense, a pairing that has not favored the 49ers quarterback. Purdy carries a 105.7 career passer rating but has posted just a 75.8 rating in six career starts against Macdonald, including a four-interception game against Baltimore in 2023 when Macdonald was that team’s defensive coordinator. According to Fox Sports, Purdy averaged only 5.8 yards per attempt and minus-0.88 expected points added per play against Seattle last season, compared to 9.7 yards per attempt and plus-0.45 EPA per play against every other opponent. Only about 12% of his attempts targeted the middle of the field in those three games, a sign of how Seattle’s zone-match coverage has squeezed his usual throwing windows.
Fox Sports also reported that Seattle’s blitz rate on run snaps has climbed from 13% in 2024 to roughly 30% this season, adding pressure that Kyle Shanahan’s play designs will need to counter. San Francisco’s receiving corps looks different than it did in the last two meetings. Sports Illustrated noted the 49ers were without Brandon Aiyuk in both of those games, and Deebo Samuel now gives the offense an explosive element it lacked then. Linebacker Fred Warner, who missed the divisional-round loss, is also back on defense this time.
Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers
Purdy has thrown 11 touchdowns against one interception through four games, but his career numbers against Macdonald-coached defenses are the clearest statistical red flag heading into Sunday.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks
Smith-Njigba leads the NFL in touchdown catches with six and has produced at least five catches and 75 yards in every game this season, making him Seattle’s most consistent offensive weapon.
George Kittle, TE, 49ers
Kittle has 244 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 16 catches and gives San Francisco a reliable target against a Seattle defense allowing 6.39 yards after the catch on average, sixth fewest in the league from the 49ers’ side of the ball.
What To Watch
A 49ers win would hand San Francisco tie-breaking victories over both Seattle and the Rams and open real breathing room atop the NFC West, a division CBS Sports has called the league’s most competitive this season. For Seattle, holding serve at home would keep the Seahawks within striking distance and validate a defense that has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 33 straight games. How Seattle’s defense handles San Francisco’s receiving options, and whether the Seahawks can clean up the penalty issues that plagued them last week, both figure to shape the outcome.
For more on San Francisco’s health heading into Sunday, see the 49ers injury report breakdown and the latest on Kyle Juszczyk’s injury. Seattle’s backfield additions are detailed in the report on the Seahawks signing Joe Mixon to the practice squad.
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