49ers run defense under spotlight in divisional rematch with Seahawks

The San Francisco 49ers will face the Seattle Seahawks for the second time in three weeks, this time in a divisional round playoff game at Lumen Field, and their ability to stop the run is emerging as the critical area that needs improvement.

San Francisco advanced after a 23-19 road win over the Philadelphia Eagles, a game in which the 49ers rallied from a sluggish first half and overcame the loss of tight end George Kittle to what was described as a significant injury. According to the original report, the 49ers “found a way” in the closing minutes, making key plays on both offense and defense to secure the comeback victory.

In that game, the 49ers spent much of the first half on their heels. While the halftime score was just 13-10 in favor of Philadelphia, the Eagles controlled the tempo early. Their offense opened with three long drives of 10, 7, and 16 plays, consistently moving the ball on the ground and draining the clock. The 49ers offense stalled after an initial touchdown drive, and the defensive struggles against the run made the imbalance more glaring.

The second half in Philadelphia told a different story. The report describes how San Francisco “flipped a switch” defensively after the break. The 49ers held the Eagles to only two field goal drives the rest of the way and repeatedly got off the field quickly, which created the opportunities needed for a late comeback.

A central part of that turnaround was improved run defense. Philadelphia had rushed for 95 yards on 20 carries in the first half. After halftime, the 49ers limited the Eagles to 45 yards on 16 attempts. The defense kept most runs between the tackles and generated negative plays as often as they gave up positive gains, according to the account. That forced Philadelphia into longer second and third down situations, where the Eagles were less effective.

The piece frames that second half against the Eagles as the template San Francisco needs to bring into Seattle. In the Week 18 regular season finale between the teams, the 49ers defense “was gashed” on the ground in the first half and struggled for most of the day against the Seahawks rushing attack. According to the report, the game only stayed close because of Seattle’s problems finishing drives.

In that earlier meeting, the 49ers allowed 180 rushing yards at an average of 4.6 yards per carry. The Seahawks nearly reached 40 total rushing attempts. Despite that production, Seattle did not score a touchdown on any of its three red zone trips, which kept the halftime score at 10-3. The story notes that mistakes by Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold also helped keep the margin tighter than the run game numbers might suggest.

The analysis argues that San Francisco cannot afford a similar performance against the run in the postseason, even if Seattle has been inconsistent on the ground over the course of the year. The view presented is that limiting the Seahawks run game and forcing them into longer down-and-distance situations is “absolutely crucial” to the 49ers’ chances in the divisional round.

At the same time, the offense is described as the “catalyst” for this 49ers team and the main factor that will determine how far San Francisco advances. The report characterizes the defense as having been “substandard” for much of the season, which heightens the pressure on the offense to perform at a high level. For the rematch against Seattle, the piece concludes that the offense “will have to play much better” than it did in Week 18.

If the 49ers can replicate their second half run defense from the Eagles game, the matchup would shift more heavily onto the shoulders of Darnold. The story suggests that is a tradeoff San Francisco should welcome compared with being overrun at the line of scrimmage.

According to the analysis, Darnold has shown he can deliver “big-time throws” and did so earlier in the year. At the same time, his performance has been uneven since a four interception game against the Los Angeles Rams. That inconsistency is cited as a key reason the 49ers would prefer to make Darnold beat them through the air rather than allow Seattle to control the game with the run.

The upcoming divisional game will be played in Seattle on a short week for San Francisco, which has to travel north after its win in Philadelphia. The report underscores that the 49ers recently saw this same opponent in the regular season finale and struggled with many of the same issues they later cleaned up in the second half against the Eagles.

As the 49ers prepare for the rematch, the central theme is clear in the original piece: if San Francisco’s defense can contain the Seahawks on the ground the way it eventually bottled up Philadelphia, it improves the odds that the game will be decided by Darnold’s arm instead of the trenches. If not, the Week 18 script of long Seattle drives and a worn-down 49ers defense could repeat, this time with the season on the line.