The 1-on-1 matchups have been lopsided, too
Seventeen days removed from beating the Seahawks by 18 points in Seattle, the San Francisco 49ers will get another crack at its divisional rival.
A win on Sunday will mathematically eliminate the Seahawks from NFC West contention, just weeks after it was atop the division. A San Francisco win would also give the 49ers its second season sweep of Seattle in as many years and its fifth since the Seahawks joined the NFC West in 2002.
With the 49ers having a chance to match its longest winning streak of the season, these are three numbers to know:
5-2
Record. After its Week 8 win against the Browns, Seattle moved into first place in the NFC West with a 5-2 record.
If Seattle losing its grasp of the NFC West the following week while the 49ers were on bye wasn’t a sign of things to come, I don’t know what is. Since that 24-20 victory over Cleveland, Seattle has dropped four of its last five and has fallen to third place in the division at 6-6. The losses include a 34-point loss to Baltimore and San Francisco’s 18-point win on Thanksgiving. The lone win came against the worst team of the stretch, a 29-26 win over the 4-9 Commanders that required a game-winning field goal as time expired.
As the 49ers did in Philadelphia, Seattle has an advantage in scheduling, last playing last Thursday in Dallas. However, that might be the only positive for Seattle entering Levi’s Stadium just two weeks after the last time these two teams met.
101.0
Passer rating. Brock Purdy has a 100.97 passer rating (including the postseason) against Seattle.
The only real blemish on this record against Seattle was the pick-six on Thanksgiving, but Purdy has been solid against the division rival outside of that. Purdy finished with a modest 209 yards with a touchdown and the interception in the win two weeks ago in a game that was never out of the 49er’s grasp. His best performance against the Seahawks remains the playoff game, where the quarterback threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns, but Sunday will be just his fourth game against Seattle.
It’s been a promising start for the quarterback against a franchise that was the 49ers’ boogeyman for over a decade. He has a chance to help San Francisco accomplish something it’s never done: beat the Seahawks for a fifth consecutive time.
12.7
Yards per reception. DK Metcalf averages 12.7 yards per reception when lined up against Charvarius Ward in the last two seasons (including the postseason).
The lowest yards per reception of Metcalf’s career is 11.6 – set last year – and Ward has held him to just around that in his four games against the receiver. Metcalf’s lowest yards per reception in a game this year came two weeks ago against the 49ers when it held the receiver to a 10.7 average on three receptions, with Ward holding Metcalf to one reception for 14 yards and a pair of pass breakups.
There was some concern in Ward against Metcalf entering the Week 12 game after Metcalf had 88 yards and a touchdown against the 49ers cornerback in the Wild Card game last season. Ward now has the momentum entering Sunday, making this a pivotal matchup to watch.
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