The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers aren’t hiding their disdain for one another, which many would expect from the two NFC West rivals. Moreover, the two teams will now battle for a third time this season, with a ticket to the NFC title game on the line.
San Francisco defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round to advance. At the same time, the Seahawks had a bye week, awaiting the outcomes of the NFC playoff bracket to determine who they would face in the divisional round.
Ahead of the playoff matchup, Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed spoke to the media on Jan. 13 and didn’t hold back his thoughts on facing the 49ers again.
“For one, we get the team we don’t like,” Reed said (h/t 95.7 The Game). “Personally, I don’t like anything about them. We don’t do too much talking. We know what’s at stake. They know what’s at stake.”
Meanwhile, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan sees the trash talk from both sides as entertainment rather than actual hatred.
“I think it’s like wrestling—fake entertainment,” Shanahan told reporters on Jan. 13 (h/t 95.7 The Game). “If it distracts someone and gets them out of their preparation, or they lose their emotions during the game or make things personal, then of course, but I think everyone is just having fun.”
Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald Talks Facing 49ers
Nonetheless, after it was all said and done, it’s Round 3 with the 49ers. On Jan. 11, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald appeared on the NFL on NBC and shared his thoughts about playing the 49ers for a third time this season.
“Well, it’s been a heck of a couple of days because every six hours it feels like we change out who we think we’re going to play,” Macdonald told NBC Sports’ Maria Taylor on FaceTime.
“So it’s just nice to know who we finally have. And it’s a little funky going against a team two games in a row. So we got to do a great job of debriefing and having some answers, knowing that Kyle will have some stuff dialed up for us.”
Moreover, Macdonald noted what his team must do to beat the 49ers a second time this season.
“They’re a heck of a team,” Macdonald added. “We’ve got to play great situational football. They’re so good on third down on both sides. The special teams, like the starting field position, were a big part of the last game. So we did a great job taking care of the ball on offense. We attacked it on defense. We got to be able to do that back at Lumen.”
Mike Macdonald Gets Honest on George Kittle Injury
Despite the trash talk from both sides, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has a level of respect for the Niners. As a result, he sent a strong message to 49ers’ George Kittle after the veteran tight end suffered an Achilles tendon injury in the win over the Eagles.
“I know they’re a division rival and all that, but that was a heck of a win [against the Eagles],” Macdonald told NBC Sports’ Maria Taylor on FaceTime. “I mean, that was a really gutsy performance. Hate to see it happen to George Kittle. He’s such a great player [and a] great competitor. We got a ton of respect for him, and [it] just really makes you sick that that happened to him. But to come back and rally and make those plays late as they did, that was a really impressive win.”
Seahawks Send Huge Warning to 49ers Before Playoff Game