Is Seahawks-49ers Playoff Matchup More Of A Mental Battle Than Physical?

7 jam yang lalu

The Wild Card Round started nan NFL Playoffs beardown pinch immoderate adjacent finishes. The Seattle Seahawks sat backmost pinch their first-round bye and watched nan chaos unfold.

Among nan large battles to nan decorativeness were nan No. 6 seed San Francisco 49ers enduring nan challenges connected nan roadworthy versus nan No. 3 seed and reigning Super Bowl champs, nan Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers defeated nan Eagles 23-19 to beforehand to nan Divisional Round. It besides helped San Fran by having awesome cardinal unit for Philadelphia implode and origin chaos.

The Seahawks will now big nan 49ers, who are undergoing respective challenges. One of nan biggest is losing prima tight extremity George Kittle to a season-ending Achilles tear. Another is having to spell connected a short week aft a triumph connected Sunday nighttime connected nan roadworthy successful Philadelphia, spell location and prepare, and past play Saturday nighttime successful Seattle.

49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne talked astir really Saturday’s crippled versus nan Seahawks was going to beryllium a intelligence conflict conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic it is simply a beingness one. Bourne said connected Tuesday that he wants to move connected to nan NFC Championship to look either nan No. 2 seed Chicago Bears aliases No.5 seed Los Angeles Rams. He says that nan short week is really it is, and they must flooded adversity to win.

49ers caput coach Kyle Shanahan said adjustments needed to beryllium made while connected a short week. He besides addressed that nan NFL looks into really nan short week affects teams' preparation, and it limits their availability. Shanahan besides did this erstwhile nan 49ers and nan Seahawks had to hole for a Saturday nighttime crippled successful Week 18 aft playing connected Sunday successful Week 17.

The 49ers and nan Seahawks faced each different successful Week 1 and Week 18, splitting nan series. Now they will look each different successful nan Divisional Round. This is nan first clip successful NFL history that teams will look each different successful this situation.

Dec 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Seattle Seahawks backmost Sam Darnold (14) looks to propulsion a walk arsenic guards Grey Zabel (76) and Josh Jones (74) artifact against nan Carolina Panthers during nan 2nd 4th astatine Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

If it is simply a intelligence battle, past nan Seahawks are already good up of schedule. Members of nan Seahawks unit and players person seldom talked astir nan short week, if each astatine all. There person been plentifulness of conversations astir nan Seahawks’ thrust to predominate and win. There person besides been players overlooking their individual rewards for a Super Bowl, like rookie defender Grey Zabel, erstwhile receiving All-Pro votes.

Saturday nighttime will not beryllium nan aforesaid capacity arsenic nan 13-3 Week 18 Seahawks triumph successful Santa Clara. The Seahawks cognize nan 49ers will beryllium overmuch much devoted to stopping nan tally crippled pinch Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. The 2 of them mixed for 171 yards and a touchdown connected 33 carries.

Defensively, Seattle will apt spot much heavy passing attempts from backmost Brock Purdy. He will effort to play pinch a vengeance aft nan Seahawks’ defense gave him 1 of his worst performances of his career. This Seahawks’ defense plays nasty and looks to physically and mentally demoralize their opponents.

Finally, this crippled is simply a chance for backmost Sam Darnold to unopen down nan critics. All play long, critics refused to judge successful nan conception that Darnold is simply a franchise quarterback. Then nan communicative changed to him being a liability, and he still hasn’t won a playoff crippled contempt being successful only 1 past play pinch nan Minnesota Vikings.

If Darnold remains sound mentally and leads nan Seahawks to victory, past that’s a immense load being lifted disconnected his shoulders.