The San Francisco 49ers are heading into the final week of the regular season with everything still undecided.
A dramatic Sunday night win over the Chicago Bears set the table. Now comes the final course. A home matchup against the Seattle Seahawks with the NFC West title, the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage all on the line.
The stakes could not be higher for a regular-season finale.
Seattle knows it. And they are not pretending otherwise.
Seahawks Defensive End Sends Clear Message
GettyDeMarcus Lawrence #0 of the Seattle Seahawks.
Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence left little ambiguity when he closed his press conference Sunday.
“We have San Fran next. We are going to make sure we take care of business. It’s in our hands; all we have to do is grasp it.”
The comment left little room for interpretation.
Seattle sees the opportunity clearly. And from a 49ers perspective, that clarity only sharpens what is already a defining week.
A Division Decider With January Implications
On Saturday night, the scene at Levi’s Stadium will determine far more than a banner.
At stake is the NFC West title, the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Conversely, the loser will be pushed onto the road immediately as a wild-card team, with no margin for error.
Against that backdrop, the 49ers enter the finale carrying momentum after surviving a high-variance game against Chicago. Meanwhile, Seattle arrives atop the NFC standings, having won 11 of its last 13 games and coming off a road victory in Carolina.
As a result, this matchup goes beyond familiar rivalry framing.
It is not a regular-season game masquerading as something bigger.
It is the thing itself.
Matchups Are Already Being Discussed
As the week begins, individual battles are already coming into focus.
49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir told reporters he wants to shadow Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in man coverage.
Smith-Njigba enters Week 18 as one of the league’s most productive receivers. nfl/player/jaxon-smith-njigba/#career-stats”>He leads the NFL with 1,709 receiving yards, has 10 touchdowns, ranks fourth in receptions, and is averaging 15.1 yards per catch.
Lenoir has played a steady role in San Francisco’s secondary, but the numbers suggest that matchup would tilt toward Seattle if isolated repeatedly.
How the 49ers Season Came Back Here
This matchup closes a season that began between these two teams.
Back in Week 1, the 49ers escaped Seattle with a 17–13 win after a late touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to Jake Tonges delivered San Francisco its first victory of the year.
Since then, Seattle surged. San Francisco absorbed injuries, adjusted, and steadied itself. The Los Angeles Rams were eliminated from the NFC West picture, leaving this finale as a true winner-take-all scenario.
Kickoff is set for Saturday night at 5 p.m. local time. The game will air on ABC and ESPN.
Final Word for the 49ers
Ultimately, this is the moment the season has been pointing toward.
The 49ers enter with the advantage of home field, familiarity, and a clear understanding of what is at stake. At the same time, the Seahawks arrive confident, vocal, and convinced the opportunity is theirs.
However, nothing will be decided by words.
Instead, Saturday night will determine who earns January comfort and who earns January travel.
So for the 49ers, the message is simple.
Control the moment. Protect home field. And make sure the season continues on their terms.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post 49ers Get Warning From Seahawks Defensive End appeared first on Heavy Sports.