Four Matchups to Watch in Seahawks and 49ers Season Opener
In the NFL, there have always been matchups. Some unlikely pairings that could lead to a moderate win. Others are either a steamroll based on how well one team performs over the other, or a total upset where the underdog comes out on top. This weekend is going to show quite a few matchups to start the season. One of those that happens this Sunday is the Seattle Seahawks vs the San Francisco 49ers. A well-known pairing in the league, one that is sure to make for an interesting game come this weekend. Here are just a few setups of players/coaches as well to watch out for on both sides of the field.
Every good team needs a foundation, and that foundation is the coach at the center. Coaches Mike MacDonald and Kyle Shanahan. Both have been strong leaders for their respective teams. MacDonald has always had a more defensive mindset with Seattle, preferring to focus on being a roadblock rather than a bulldozing offense, which aligns more with Shanahan's approach. Now, how will the two head coaches clash on Sunday? Fans can only hope to imagine what playbooks they have for their teams.
Next up is Ernest Jones and Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey has been the 49ers' linebacker since 2022, after first being drafted by the Carolina Panthers for six years prior to that. So he has a bit more experience up his sleeve. Ernest Jones has bounced around from the Rams in 2021 to 2023, the Titans in 2024, and now with Seattle for this 2025 season. So it seems that McCaffrey may have the upper hand if he can overwhelm players like Jones, unless Jones is there to stop him along with the rest of the 49ers offensive line.
Though, unfortunately, considering how strong the offensive line is for the 49ers. The Seahawks have not had the same amount of luck so far, so hopefully that could change this season, with a quick turnaround perhaps. It has been a bit more of an uphill battle for players like Abe Lucas. Lucas has definitely had it harder going up against a player as good a rusher as Nick Bosa. One of the main reasons why the 49ers have such a tanky, heavy defense as of recent seasons.
Lucas is not the only player who's most likely going to have a very rough time. That honor also goes to none other than Sam Darnold himself—the newest quarterback for the team, hoping to shine on the field. Robert Saleh, the 49ers' defensive coordinator, is looking to make sure that the playing field is a bit messy for Darnold, which is already on top of the uphill battle that Darnold has been facing so far, going into this season. Though overall, there isn't a full washout of hope for Seattle's side of these matchups to come out on top. We will just have to wait and see, come this upcoming Sunday, to start the 2025 season off very soon.
