The NFC West still doesn’t have a champion after 17 weeks of football. The Seattle Seahawks will meet Saturday night in a winner-take-all game that will decide not only the division but also the NFC’s first overall seed and first-round bye. These teams are very familiar with one another, but they haven’t played since Week 1, and both squads have undergone major changes philosophically and in personnel on the field. With everything on the line, how can the Seahawks secure a massive victory?

My Hottest Take: The Seahawks Must Pass To Open Up The Run

The 49ers have suffered yet another massive set of injuries this season. Star defensive end Nick Bosa, Linebacker Fred Warner, and receiver Brandon Aiyuk are out for the year and it’s resulted in a huge change change in defensive philosophy. In 2024, the Niners defense ranked 18th in rushing yards per game allowed at 124.8 yards per game, and the unit’s collective PFF run defense grade ranked 28th with a grade of 54.6, showcasing a major weakness.

General manager John Lynch went all out to address this issue over the offseason, using first, second, and fourth round draft picks on three defensive lineman whose primary strength is the ability to stop the run, and despite the superstar injuries on defense, these three rookies have offered imediate return on investment. Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and CJ West have all had large parts in the Niners improving their rushing yards per game allowed from 18th to sixth at just 103.3 yards per game.

The tradeoff is that none of these guys is an impact pass rusher yet, and with the injury to Nick Bosa, the Niners have seen their pass rush become one of the worst in the entire league. After recording 37 sacks in 2024, San Francisco will now need two against Seattle to even break 20 sacks, as their 18 sits dead last in the NFL.

Klint Kubiak needs to let Sam Darnold throw the ball early on Saturday and take advantage of a weak defensive line and a secondary whose only difference maker is corner Deommodore Lenoir. Darnold only threw the ball 23 times in the opener, and that number needs to be closer to 35 for Seattle to have a shot at this one, because their 26 carries for 84 yards doesn’t seem like a number that’s likely to improve this time around.

What You Need To Know: Late-Down Stops Will Be Key

A big part of the Niners success in week one came down to success on third and fourth downs. San Francisco went a combined 9-16 (56%) on these attempts and it played a large role in them controlling the ball for a whopping 37:58, compared to just 22:02 of possession for Seattle. The biggest concern in Christian McCaffery out of the backfield as a receiver, where he’s been far more impactful on a down to down basis this season than as a rusher, and he gashed Seattle for nine catches and 73 yards in week one.

George Kittle is questionable for Saturday, and his absence would be a huge one, as he scored a third down touchdown, and the dropoff from him to Jake Tonges is a big one when it comes to blocking. Brock Purdy is coming into this game scorching hot, scoring a combined 10 touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears. He’s been making plays on third down and in the red zone, so the Seattle pass rush is going to have to dominate and force him into one of those disaster Purdy performances like he had agaisnt Mike McDonald’s Ravens in 2023.

Before You Go: Seattle Will Win on Saturday

Seattle is going to score on the San Francisco defense as their last two opponents have in bunches, but it’s upto the Seahawks defense to try and prevent this from becoming the type of track meet that the Niners have excelled in down the stretch. After a full regular season to develop as a team and sit on that week one loss, Seattle gets it done on Saturday and wins 28-24 to capture the division and the bye.