The resting Seahawks are getting healthy, in a situation they haven’t had in 35 years. Mike Macdonald, Kyle Shahanan are in unique spots.
It is indeed, as their coach says, “funky.”
The last time the Seahawks played the same team in consecutive games, Chuck Knox was their coach, and the team they played twice in a row isn’t even there anymore.
Yeah, that was a while ago. Seattle played the San Diego Chargers in October and again into November 1991, with a bye week in between.
There’s far more at stake in this funky one.
The top-seeded Seahawks (14-3) come off their wild-card playoff bye Saturday at Lumen Field to play in the NFC divisional round against the team they beat to win the NFC West in their last game: the rival San Francisco 49ers (13-5). The sixth-seeded Niners beat the Eagles in Philadelphia 23-19 in the wild-card round. For exacting Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, this double-dip may by this weekend be a plus.
It might give defensive guru’s intricate, 38-year-old mind some rest.
“In classic Seahawk fashion, maybe we probably overthink some things,” Macdonald said. By “we,” he primarily meant “I.”
“It’s maybe an accelerated time frame than you normally would from another divisional game that you play twice, with not quite enough sample in between to see where they’re going,” Macdonald said of the Niners. “So you’re really going off how you felt like you played the game, things you did well, maybe where you think they might take things.”
The Seahawks did defensive well Jan. 3 in Santa Clara, California. They held San Francisco to 173 yards and just three points, six days after the 49ers rolled NFC North-champion Chicago for 496 yards and 42 points. The three points were the fewest San Francisco scored since the first game of 2017 season, coach Kyle Shahanan’s first leading the Niners.
The outside world would assume Macdonald and Shahahan, San Francisco’s offensive play caller, will be trying to change their game plans from their last meeting. Or from the opener to this season, the 49ers’ 17-13 win at Seattle Sept. 7.
The Seahawks’ coach said he’s got stuff from the last game in Santa Clara that the 49ers — and no one else — have seen yet. So he can use that Saturday without having to craft a new plan.
“There are things in the game plan that we didn’t get to. I’m sure there are things in their game plan they didn’t get to,” Macdonald said. “To use the whole game- declaring-itself-type thing, you don’t know how these games are going to go.”
The Seahawks aren’t counting on holding Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers to three points again on Saturday.
“About a 99.999% chance it’s going to play out way different than the last one,” Macdonald. “And you got to do a great job recognizing it and making the adjustments and doing all that type of stuff.”
But this time, it’s in Seattle. The winner advances to the NFC championship game Jan. 25.
If the Seahawks win, that title game will be at home.
This is the first playoff game in Lumen Field with fans since Jan. 7, 2017, in the wild-card round against Detroit. The Seahawks played the Rams in a first-round playoff game in 2020 during the pandemic, with no fans in the stands.
“It’s huge to be able to play in front of the 12s,” quarterback Sam Darnold said. “It’s unlike any other stadium that I’ve ever played in, in terms of how loud it can be and how tough it could be for another offense to operate.
“So we’re really looking forward to playing at home for the playoffs.”
Injury updates
Left tackle Charles Cross is on track to play for the first time since week 15. He returned to practice last week, with a new four-year contract extension that includes $75 million guaranteed. He hasn’t played since injuring his hamstring on Jason Myers’ game-winning field goal beat the Colts on the final play Dec. 14.
Starting safety Coby Bryant hasn’t played since he injured his knee in Seattle’s win over the Los Angeles Rams Dec. 18. Macdonald said the team expects Bryant to practice Tuesday, Wednesday and/or Thursday. He has a chance to play Saturday.
Ty Okada has excelled starting the past two games for Bryant, as Okada did starting nine games earlier this season when the other safety Julian Love was out with an injured hamstring.
Rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo returned to practice last week. He hasn’t played since week 13 Dec. 7 at Atlanta because of a knee injury. Arroyo is trending toward going on the active roster before Saturday and playing.
Special-teams mainstay Chazz Surratt and third running back George Holani are on injured reserve. Macdonald indicated they may return to practice this week.
For Arroyo, Surratt and Holani to play, the Seahawks will need to cut a player from the 53-man active roster to make room for each.
Category: General Sports
