With a monsoon moving through the Santa Clara area, the Seahawks could get a surprising edge on the 49ers before the game even starts.
The Seattle Seahawks are the clear underdogs against Brock Purdy, Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers, but some familiar weather could give them an edge over their division foe.
Sure, it’s not much to hold their hats on, but Seattle is used to playing their home games in rain, or on a wet field at the very least. Geno Smith and Co. have thrived in this weather all year long — it’s only fitting that their postseason game would be impacted to some extent.
Now, it’s important to note that the chance of rain significantly decreases around game time, which for now is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. Still, look at this weather!
That sort of rainfall is rare for Santa Clara. Winds are expected to reach near 20 MPH during the game, as well, which could severely impact the kicking game.
Do Seahawks have a chance against 49ers?
Seattle is rightly the underdog heading into their Wild Card matchup against the No. 2-seeded San Francisco 49ers. However, there is always the opportunity for an upset.
First off, these teams know each other very well, considering they play in the same division. This season, Seattle lost both its matchups against San Francisco by a combined 28 points. Geno Smith struggled to generate much offense in either game.
This will be Brock Purdy’s first playoff game. Though Kyle Shanahan has some playoff success under his belt, Purdy has come back down to earth in recent weeks, making some 49ers fans wonder if he can handle a postseason run this early in his NFL career.
The Seahawks will be his first test, and they have ballhawks in the secondary waiting for him to make a mistake. With all the pressure on the Niners, the weather is just another factor to take into account.