There's a lot at stake for both teams on Thursday night. For the San Francisco 49ers, a win over a division rival would mean clinching the NFC West title and ensuring San Francisco opens the postseason by hosting a game at Levi's Stadium. For the Seattle Seahawks, a victory would mean potentially climbing back into the playoff picture.
It's a bonus that the two teams don't care much for each other. But that's the case with a lot of division matchups.
The 49ers have won six consecutive games and are surging down the home stretch of the regular season. They've won their last two games with a rookie quarterback, Brock Purdy, at the helm of the offense. Purdy started the season as QB3 on the depth chart, but injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo have catapulted him into the starting lineup.
Thursday night's game may not have the same stakes as the 2019 regular-season winner-take-all finale, but it's still 49ers-Seahawks. One Niners player is expecting Seattle to come out swinging.
"We're definitely expecting an all-out war, probably similar to '19," defensive end Nick Bosa told reporters on Tuesday. "Just really big stakes and two teams that know each other really well and don't particularly like each other. Yeah, it should be fun."
Purdy only has two games of extensive work and one start under his belt. Thursday night will be his second start and first start on the road. It just so happens to be at one of the more hostile venues in the NFL.
On Tuesday, the rookie quarterback reflected on his most daunting collegiate road games, identifying Norman, Oklahoma, home of the University of Oklahoma, as a particularly challenging test.
"Every time we went down there, it was always a great game," Purdy said. "And those people, I feel like were breathing down our necks. It was 90-plus thousand people, so you really can't hear yourself think or anything."
That might prepare him for what he will experience at Lumen Field. Although, one 49ers teammate isn't intimidated by the Seattle stadium and would offer this advice to his young quarterback, or any teammate who has yet to play there.
"Treat it like any field, man," defensive back Jimmie Ward said. "It's going to be loud. It's going to be loud, just like Levi's Stadium is loud. Other than that, it's our field now, when we go there. We don't care whose field it is or what field we're going to play [on]."
As far as the 49ers-Seahawks rivalry goes, Bosa feels it comes second to another NFC West feud.
"I don't feel it as much from the players with the Seahawks," Bosa explained. "I feel more like the Rams, I'd say, players-wise. But I think coaching staffs might be the rivalry with this one."
