The Seattle Seahawks scraped by the Los Angeles Chargers with a narrow 7-point win last week and now turn to their toughest test of the season. Their NFC West rival, the San Francisco 49ers, will come to town this week in what looks to be a narrow contest, with FanDuel Sportsbook listing the Seahawks as three-point favorites.
Let’s take a look at what it will take for the Seahawks to reassert their divisional dominance on Sunday.
1. Seattle will reestablish the JSN
I’m well aware it’s a little comical to suggest that Seahawks’ star wide
receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will have a “bounce back” game after he posted 76 yards on five catches last week. However, the statistical performance was below the extremely high standard he has set in 2026, and the offense felt it. That should change this week as I guarantee Sam Darnold and offensive coordinator Brian Fleury will have their minds set on getting JSN the ball more, especially considering how he dominated the 49ers last season, totaling 227 yards and a touchdown. Not to mention the 49ers are dealing with several secondary injuries, making Smith-Njigba a prime target for an impressive day.
Prediction: Smith-Njigba goes for 100 and two touchdowns.
2. Rashid Shaheed will be a factor in the backfield
Seattle debuted a Deebo Samuel-esque package against the Chargers, welcoming speedy wideout Rashid Shaheed to the backfield and using him like a running back. Shaheed scored on a toss against Los Angeles and looked like the explosive player Seattle paid him to be. With the Seahawks seemingly signing any running back they can get their hands on, expect to see Shaheed used more in key moments to generate explosives against a stout 49ers run defense that is holding teams to under 100 rushing yards per game.
Prediction: Shaheed goes for 50+ rushing yards.
3. Seahawks will cover -3
San Francisco, and especially quarterback Brock Purdy, have struggled against Mike Macdonald-led defenses for the last three years. The Seahawks defense held them to nine points, no touchdowns, in their last two meetings, and while nobody should expect that level of dominance on Sunday, it shouldn’t be far off. The 49ers are fresh off a battle with the Denver Broncos, who were missing several key players on defense, and only managed 24 points. Seattle will have to play more disciplined football than last week, but they should get the job done.
Prediction: Seahawks cover the three-point spread.
4. Game finishes with under 47.5 points
While Seattle should cover, this should be an old-fashioned rock fight, much like what these two teams put together in Week 18 of last season. Both of these offenses are battling through significant injuries and have not gotten off to the hottest starts. They will be forced to lean on their defenses and special teams to get this one done, which should result in a low-scoring and stressful game.
Prediction: Seahawks escape with a 21-17 victory, total points 38.
Closing thoughts
The Seahawks have been a frustrating team to watch in 2026, and that’s an unfortunate trend that should continue into this heated rivalry contest. While my confidence in the Dark Side defense is relatively high, as long as they can fix their penalty bug from last week, as they’ve looked the part through the first four games. Much depends on the health of Leonard Williams, however, Macdonald has earned enough trust for me to believe in his group.
Meanwhile, Seahawks’ offense has yet to face a defense as solid as San Francisco’s. Seattle will need a better performance from Darnold, especially in the turnover category, as this run game will likely struggle to get past Fred Warner.
This game will likely come down to the fourth quarter, so make sure to have your blood pressure medication of choice on hand Sunday at 1:25 p.m PT.
Will any of these predictions come true? Hopefully, but in the meantime, tell us what you think about the Seahawks’ upcoming game in the comments below.
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