Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-08 · by Josh Dubow The Associated Press
The San Francisco 49ers will face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in their first meeting since last season, where the Seahawks won both the division title and the Super Bowl. The rivalry is expected to be intense, with lingering resentment from the previous encounters. Despite the 49ers' current undefeated record (4-0) compared to the Seahawks’ (3-1), this game represents a chance for San Francisco to avenge their losses. Coach Kyle Shanahan downplays seeking revenge, emphasizing that both teams are new and will compete based on present form rather than past history.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Games between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks are typically intense with the two rivals often competing for NFC West supremacy.
asserted
rivals → compete → supremacy
The Seahawks came out on top last season, winning a Week 18 showdown for the division title and a blowout in the divisional round against the 49ers before winning the Super Bowl on San Francisco’s home field with a raucous celebration in their rival’s locker room.
asserted
Seahawks → come → room
The teams are now set to meet for the first time in the 2026 season when San Francisco (4-0) visits Seattle (3-1) on Sunday.
asserted
Francisco → set → Sunday
“I think it’s unspoken,” 49ers safety Malik Mustapha said about the lingering feelings from how last season ended.
asserted
season → think → feelings
“Everyone knows what it is.
asserted
it → know → ?
Everyone knows the mindset going into it.
asserted
Everyone → know → it
We don’t like them, and we have to go after it and get the job done.”
asserted
job → like → it
San Francisco couldn’t do that late last season after injuries decimated their roster.
asserted
injuries → do → roster
The Niners fell 13-3 at home in the regular-season finale to lose the division and then 41-6 two weeks later on the road to end their season.
asserted
Niners → fall → season
The Niners will look very different with George Kittle and Fred Warner healthy and playing at a high level after missing the playoff loss with injuries, and offseason acquisitions such as Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Osa Odighizuwa and Dre Greenlaw providing big boosts.
asserted
acquisitions → look → boosts
“I just feel like with us, we don’t totally get into that outer stuff very much,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said about looking for revenge.
asserted
Shanahan → feel → revenge
“Every game is so tough no matter who you play and you don’t really attach years before to certain games.
asserted
you → play → games
I feel like we’re a new team, they’re a new team and we’ll see how this series starts this year.
asserted
series → feel → ?
The Seahawks want to repeat the formula that worked well at the end of last season when their dominating defense once again frustrated Brock Purdy and the 49ers.
asserted
defense → want → Purdy
They allowed just three field goals, forced four turnovers, had five sacks and didn’t give up a single play from scrimmage that gained more than 20 yards.
asserted
that → allow → yards
“We tackled well.
asserted
We → tackle → ?
We limited extra yardage.
asserted
We → limit → yardage
We rushed the quarterback with discipline and married the coverage,” coach Mike Macdonald said.
asserted
Macdonald → rush → coverage
“That’s what it takes to play good football in general.
asserted
it → ’ → football
The guys played hard, played physical.
asserted
guys → play → physical
Last week: 49ers beat the Broncos 24-14; Seahawks beat the Chargers 30-23.
asserted
Seahawks → beat → Chargers
Last meeting: Seahawks beat Broncos 41-6 in divisional round on Jan. 17, 2026, in Seattle.
asserted
Seahawks → beat → Seattle
Series record: Seahawks lead 33-24.
asserted
Seahawks → lead → ?
Purdy has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks since taking over in 2022 with a 105.7 career passer rating that is on pace to rank No. 1 all time when he has 34 more attempts to reach 1,500 for his career.
asserted
he → take → career
He hasn’t had that kind of success against Macdonald.
asserted
He → have → Macdonald
He threw four INTs in a loss to Baltimore in 2023 when Macdonald was defensive coordinator and has struggled in five starts since Macdonald took over in Seattle.
asserted
Macdonald → throw → Seattle
Stats and stuff
— The 49ers look to start the season 5-0 for the third time since 2019 and seventh time in franchise history.
asserted
49ers → look → history
They made the Super Bowl after 5-0 starts under Shanahan in 2019 and ‘23.
asserted
They → make → 2019
— San Francisco has allowed six plays from scrimmage of at least 20 yards, second fewest in the NFL.
asserted
Francisco → allow → NFL
— The 49ers have allowed no sacks in four straight games for the first time since 1965 and are the fifth team since at least 1963 to allow no sacks in the first four games of a season.
asserted
49ers → allow → season
Only the 1989 Dolphins and 1975 Cardinals did it five straight games to open a season.
asserted
Dolphins → do → season
— San Francisco ranks sixth in the NFL in averaging 6.39 yards after the catch after finishing fifth lowest last season at 4.54.
asserted
Francisco → rank → 4.54
— The Seahawks have the third-most penalty yards this season with 327 after having 14 for 150 yards last week.
asserted
Seahawks → have → yards
The Niners have been penalized 17 times for the second fewest in the NFL.
asserted
Niners → penalize → NFL
— Seattle hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in a franchise-record 33 straight games, including the playoffs, for the longest current streak in the NFL.
asserted
Seattle → allow → NFL
— The Seahawks have scored at least 30 points in three straight games, one shy of the franchise record last done in 2020.
asserted
Seahawks → score → 2020
— Seattle WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the league with six TD catches (six) and is third with 481 yards receiving.
asserted
Njigba → lead → yards
— Seattle is holding opponents to 28.6% on third down after leading the league last season in that category at 32.1%.
___
asserted
Seattle → hold → %
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