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The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers will play for the second time in three weeks after the Niners defeated the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 11 in the Wild Card Round. With the Seahawks having their bye week, they had to sit back and watch the outcomes.
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 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.”
Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald Talks First Playoff Game as HC
Macdonald also saw in the Wild Card Round that coaches like Liam Coen and Dave Canales lost their first playoff game as head coaches, while Ben Johnson won his in comeback fashion as the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers. Taylor asked Macdonald about his emotions going into his first playoff game as a head coach.
“It’s exciting watching all these games, and I think I just have to remember to remind myself that we got to this point because of our process every day and that our mindset has really been about taking away all the extra stuff,” Macdonald added.
“Let’s focus on what we do, on playing our style of football, and let the results take care of themselves. So, that’s going to be the same message this week. And shoot, I need to listen to my own coaching points on that one, too.”
Richard Sherman Reacts to 49ers Beating Eagles
Even on the road and after losing George Kittle, the 49ers could have folded against the reigning Super Bowl champions. However, after overcoming so many injuries, the Niners again showed their mental toughness and secured the victory.
After the 49ers defeated the Eagles, former Niners cornerback Richard Sherman didn’t hold back his thoughts on San Francisco’s performance, considering Philadelphia had all its starters.
“Eagles played with almost all of their day 1 starters available,” Sherman wrote on X on Jan. 11. “The 49ers came in without so many of their starters, and they just continue to find a way. Great performance by the 49ers’ defense! Eric Kendricks’ impact was felt all game, but never more than that last play! Veterans feel all game long. Sound tackling and poise!”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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