The 49ers have cruised through the first month of the season as the perceived best team in the NFL. But that status is about to be put to the test in an early NFC West battle royale between the Niners and the Seahawks in Seattle.
The last time the teams met, Seattle destroyed San Francisco 41-6 in the 2025 divisional playoffs. Of course, this is a new season, and the 49ers have cruised to a 4-0 start behind an average score of about 31-16 – sweeping the Rams, Dolphins, Cardinals and Broncos.
Brock Purdy has not been sacked and has thrown 11 TD passes vs. one pick – yielding a passer rating of 126.2 that leads all regular NFL starters (Seahawks backup Drew Lock actually has the top rating at 127.3 off his two games in place of Sam Darnold).
In the last two meetings last season – the season finale and the divisional playoff – Seattle sacked Purdy five times, picked off two passes and forced a fumble while holding the 49ers to a total of nine points.
How did the Hawks do it — and can they repeat that against a hot 49ers offense?
One big factor is their ability to rush the passer without blitzing. They lead the NFL in pass rush win rate, rank second in quick pressure rate and are fifth in pressure rate without blitzing.
That’s a problem for Purdy, who doesn’t have the authority in Kyle Shanahan’s offense to change pass protections. As Benji Solak (the baby-faced analyst for ESPN) reminded everyone on Seattle Sports Radio, “This is why the Seahawks have just absolutely taken a club to the 49ers last couple years: One of the big weaknesses in Kyle’s offense is that the quarterback cannot change protections at the line scrimmage because they are baked into the play call, they are controlled by the head coach.
“So, Mike (Macdonald) has a really good bead on how Kyle wants to pass protect Whenever you get into second-and-long, third-and-long, clear passing situations, Mike is the guy who gets to hold the pen last. And as of right now, he has a big edge on Kyle Shanahan in that particular part of the chess match.”
It helps that the Hawks don’t give up much in the rushing attack either. They are top five in yards per carry (3.6) and EPA. Before the Chargers got loose on some nifty outside runs in the fourth quarter last weekend and finished with 147 yards, the Hawks had given up 87 yards game and 3.3 per carry.
Demarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu are both among the top five edge rushers in impact per rush attempt.
The 49ers are averaging 137 yards per game on the ground (Purdy is averaging 30 yards per game himself) and 4.8 per carry. They also have the second-lowest negative run rate (3.6%).
So this looms as a big key in the game.
George Kittle knows how good the Seattle defense is.
“They play very safe, bend-but-don’t-break coverages,” he told Bay Area reporters. “But their DBs are incredibly aggressive and violent. They’re not scared of hitting, they’re not scared of coming downhill. That allows their D-line to play super aggressive, too. All around, they’re a very special defense. I don’t know what their weak link is on defense. … This is a very, very elite defense, and their head coach knows what the heck he’s doing.”
As for the flip matchup, Seattle is not likely to fare well on the ground if Brian Fleury continues to force it to the right. The Seahawks have the third-highest negative run rate (12.7%) in the league – much of that due to Fleury’s insistence on running behind his weaker blockers.
One strength Fleury surprisingly has developed is the screen game. Emanuel Wilson scored a TD on a 23-yard screen play last week and gained 13 yards on another such play, and Fleury has used AJ Barner to excellent effect on those as well. The Hawks have the NFL’s best EPA per dropback on screen passes, and they rank No. 2 in yards per attempt (10.6).
“The screen game: How about that?” Macdonald said. “I just can’t remember being on a team with a great screen game, so I’m excited to be a part of it.
“It’s another example of like, hey, we just shift our focus to where we want to get better, and guys make it come to life. The linemen have done a great job of hitting their targets out on the perimeter and in the alley, and our runners have been more decisive once they get the ball.”
The 49ers have been one of the worst teams at pressuring the passer, so Sam Darnold figures to have a pretty fair chance at moving the Hawks through the air. If he can, the Hawks should handle the 49ers for the third straight time and put themselves in the driver’s seat in the NFC West.
