Seattle's win over the Chargers was uglier than the final score. The Seahawks set a franchise record for penalty yards in a single game. They led 30-13 late in the 3rd quarter, then gave up 10 straight points in the 4th to an 0-4 team. They held on when Uchenna Nwosu strip-sacked Justin Herbert and Derick Hall fell on the ball. A defense that picked off Herbert twice and makes game-sealing plays is a real asset. Committing that many penalties against a 4-0 division rival is how you lose a close game.
San Francisco has been dominant against weaker teams. The 49ers won 27-7 at the Rams, beat Miami by 22 and handled Denver. The 1 game that got loose was a 36-30 shootout with Arizona, and Fred Warner needed 17 tackles to close it out. Seattle's season has been a mix of results. The Seahawks beat New England 13-10, crushed Arizona 31-7 on the road, lost at Washington and survived the Chargers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 10 catches for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Commanders, and he's the receiver San Francisco's corners have to account for.
Mike Evans played through a rib injury against Denver while San Francisco was already short at wide receiver. Christian Kirk is on IR, and his practice window could open in about 2 weeks at the earliest. The 49ers also needed both Brandin Cooks and Malik Turner up from the practice squad. Seattle has more healthy receivers, with Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, AJ Barner and Rashid Shaheed. Shaheed also adds return yards. Kickoff is 1:25 PM PT, and the early forecast is clear, around 60 degrees with light wind, so weather shouldn't be a factor. Whoever wins leaves Lumen Field on top of the NFC West.