Seahawks get familiar foe for NFC divisional round next week, likely Saturday

The Seahawks now know whom they are going to play to begin their playoffs. It’s an old, despised rival. In a rematch from a recent showdown.

Sixth-seed San Francisco rallied from a deficit at halftime at Philadelphia Sunday to beat the third-seeded Eagles. The win over the defending Super Bowl champions makes the 49ers the lowest remaining seed in the NFC to win on wild-card weekend.

That means the 49ers (13-5) will play at top-seeded Seattle (14-3) in a showdown of NFC West rivals next weekend at Lumen Field in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

Odds and precedence say that game is most likely going to be next Saturday, Jan. 17, either at 1:30 p.m. or 5 p.m.

The NFC’s top seed has played on the Saturday of the divisional round every playoffs since the end of the 2019 season. Including the AFC, at least one of the two conference seeds have played on that Saturday in round two every year since the 2016 season.

The league likes to reward the number-one seeds with the advantage of an extra day of rest and preparation should they win in divisional round to each of the conference championship games. Those are on the following Sunday, Jan. 25. The Rams will play the Bears in Chicago in the other NFC divisional game.

Seattle split its two division games against San Francisco this season.

In week one in September, the 49ers led 17-13 late in the game when Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold lost a fumble near the San Francisco 10-yard line in the final seconds of the game to ensure the Niners’ seventh victory in eight games against the Seahawks.

In week 18 Jan. 3 in Santa Clara, California, coach Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks defense dominated Kyle Shanahan’s offense in the NFC West title game. Seattle held San Francisco to 127 yards in a 13-3 win. It was the 49ers’ fewest points in a game in nine years.

This is Seattle’s first time with a wild-card playoff bye and top seed since January 2015, at the end of its last Super Bowl season.

After two practices this week and this weekend off, Seahawks veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp said the Seahawks have a we-aren’t-satisfied attitude heading into the divisional round.

“We’re still under construction. We’re still working towards something,” Kupp said. “The attitude and the effort for the last couple of days, the focus that was in this room out in the walk-throughs and out there on the practice field speaks about the guys that we have here.

“Everyone is excited about this opportunity. We’re going to take these next few days and recover and come back ready to go.”