First, the Seahawks clinched an NFC West title and homefield advantage with a Week 18 road win over the 49ers, setting off a celebration in the visitor's locker room at Levi's Stadium.
Two weeks later, after enjoying a bye week, the Seahawks beat the 49ers again, this time by a 41-6 margin at Lumen Field, an emphatic start to a playoff run that would culminate in a Super Bowl victory at Levi's Stadium.
So to recap, that was two hugely important wins over the 49ers in a two-week span, both of which saw Seattle's defense keep the 49ers out of the end zone, plus a Super Bowl title on their division rival's home field, complete with a raucous, cigar smoke, beer and champagne-filled celebration in San Francisco's home locker room.
And now, with these teams facing off again for the first time since Seattle's Divisional Round victory over the 49ers, surely there will be some carryover from January, right? The Seahawks defense will come into the game feeling like they have the 49ers' number, right? And of course the 49ers will be fired up and motivated by the fact that the Seahawks eliminated them from the playoffs, then got to celebrate in their locker room a few weeks later, right?
Well, actually, no.
Football teams change too much from season to season, be it in personnel or coaching or just the subtle shifts that happen from year to year, for either team to get caught up in past successes or failures. What Sunday at Lumen Field is is a showdown between two of the NFL's best teams, the 4-0 49ers and the 3-1 Seahawks, not a chance at revenge for the 49ers, nor an opportunity for the Seahawks to add to what they accomplished against San Francisco last season.
"None of what happened last year matters," linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. "It's a new year, new season. They've got a hell of a group. They've put together four good games, won every one of them. This is a new team -- just like we have a new team, they have a new team, they're doing some different things. We have to go out there and do our job."
If any 49ers players are hyping up this game, and not many seem to be, the Seahawks aren't going to be affected by it.
"We're not going to make it bigger than what it is. It's Week 5," Jones said. "There's going to be a plethora of games after this that we have to win. This is the next team on the schedule. It happens to be them. What happened last year, they can take it however you want to. That's last year, this is this year. We're looking to win the game."
In Santa Clara, players are taking a similar tone when asked about the Seahawks.
"Just another week," linebacker Fred Warner told the San Francisco Chronicle. "The next one."
49ers center Jake Brendel also downplayed any lingering effects of last season with the Chronicle, saying, "It's not so much that they were in our locker room and they won the Super Bowl and that sort of thing. But it's a division opponent."
And to Brendel's point, there is always a bit more juice with a divisional game, both because the teams see each other twice a year, and in the case of the Seahawks and 49ers, they know that this game could have huge playoff implications come January. But that has more to do with the every-year nature of rivalries than anything to do with last season.
"They might feel a certain way," safety Julian Love said. "Regardless of what happened last year, we don't like them; they don't like us. They might not like us a little bit more because of what happened at the end of last season, but it is what it is. You know it's going to be a fistfight against a division opponent, and that's all of them. We don't like anybody in our division."
And for Seattle's defense, there is value to what they see on tape from last year's games, not because they can assume they'll do it again, but simply because with the same play-caller, head coach Kyle Shanahan, and quarterback, Brock Purdy, there will be plenty of carryover.
"It definitely informs us," Love said. "It's good to kind of know what we're building off of, just like them --they've had a whole offseason to think about this game, playing us again. Same with us, we're just going to try to take that next step. The biggest thing, when you have two just masterminds of the game going against each other, understanding how players play, tendencies, cadences of the player as opposed to the scheme, that gives you a vibe of what guys do."
And while Love refers to his coach, Mike Macdonald, and Shanahan as masterminds, Macdonald chalks his team's 2025 success against the 49ers to something more fundamental than his scheme and play-calling.
"We tackled well," Macdonald said. "We limited extra yardage. We rushed the quarterback with discipline and married the coverage. That's what it takes to play good football in general. The guys played hard, played physical. Played well situationally."
All of that added up to the Seahawks holding what, coming into Week 18, was the league's hottest offense, to just nine points and 209 total yards over the span of two full games.
But as memorable as that close to the 2026 season was, and as well as Seattle played in those two January games, the Seahawks know that repeating that success, or anything close to it, is a new challenge for a new team facing a new opponent.
"The way we played the game up front, we played well in the run, we understood how to stay square and build a wall, and then on the back end, guys matched well when they needed to match, and played discipled and played square," defensive coordinator Aden Durde said when asked about last year's defensive success against the 49ers. "But this is a new team and new players in certain positions, and we've got to reset and do lots of different things a new way at times, because we've got different players in different spots, and we've got to try to push ourselves to play our way every play."
The Seahawks and 49ers face off at Lumen Field in Week 5 on Sunday, October 11, 2026. Take a look back through history at the Seahawks' matchups against the 49ers.
Seattle Seahawks fullback Dan Doornink (33) runs upfield during an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, Oct. 7, 1979. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 35-24. (AP Photo/Al Messerschmidt)
San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana (16) passes during an NFL football game against Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Nov. 25, 1985, in San Francisco. The 49ers won the game, 19-6. (AP Photo/Greg Trott)
San Francisco 49ers' Terrell Owens catches the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Jeff Garcia while Seattle Seahawks' Shawn Springs defends during the fourth quarter in Seattle, Monday, Oct. 14. 29, 2002. The 49ers won, 28-21. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks defensive back Marcus Robertson (31) gets ready to make sure San Francisco 49ers running back Garrison Hearst (20) is stopped on Sunday, December 1, 2002, in San Francisco, California. The 49ers defeated the Seahawks 31-24. (AP Photo/Al Golub)
Seattle Seahawks' Antonio Cochran (78) celebrates a fumble recovery by teammate safety Ken Hamlin on the first play after the 2-minute warning in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2003, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 20-19. At left is 49ers' Ron Stone. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
San Francisco 49ers running back Kevan Barlow (32) looks for hole in line on Saturday, December 27, 2003, in San Francisco, California. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 24-17. (AP Photo/Al Golub)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck looks for room to pass under pressure from San Francisco 49ers' John Engelberger (95) and Derrick Hamilton (88) in the first quarter in Seattle, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2004. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Darrell Jackson, right, runs in for a touchdown past San Francissco 49ers' Ronnie Heard on a 33-yard pass reception in the first quarter Sunday, Nov. 7, 2004, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)
Seattle Seahawks' D.J. Hackett (18) grabs a touchdown pass in front of San Francisco 49ers' Shawntae Spencer in the first half on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith attempts to pass under pressure from Seattle Seahawks' Craig Terrill, right, and Rodney Bailey (95) in the fourth quarter Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005, at Qwest Field in Seattle. The Seahawks beat the 49ers 41-3. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith (11) throws downfield while under pressure from Seattle Seahawks linebacker Julian Peterson, left, in the second half of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006.(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.J. Hackett (18) cannot hold on to a pass in the second quarter as San Francisco 49ers strong safety Mark Roman defends in the second quarter Thursday, Dec. 14, 2006, at Qwest Field in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
San Francisco 49ers' Frank Gore, center, fumbles in front of Seattle Seahawks' Darryl Tapp in the first quarter of their NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
SEATTLE - NOVEMBER 12: Tight end Marcus Pollard #88 of the Seattle Seahawks spins after the reception against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, November 12, 2007 in Seattle, Washington. Seattle won the game 24-0. (AP Photo/Thomas E. Witte) Marcus Pollard
Seattle Seahawks' Josh Wilson defends as San Francisco 49ers' Isaac Bruce makes a 33-yard reception in overtime in an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008, in Seattle. The 49ers won 33-30. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Julius Jones, left, carries the ball in front of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Nate Clements in the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry (59), top, tackles San Francisco 49ers running back Glen Coffee (29) during an NFL football game in San Francisco, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Seattle Seahawks Matt Hasselbeck in action against the San Francisco 49ers during an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Justin Forsett in action against the San Francisco 49ers in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Ruvell Martin (82) catches a pass in front of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Nate Clements (22) in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (15) against the San Francisco 49ers in an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (21) drives for the end zone during an NFL game against Seattle Seahawks defensive back Kam Chancellor (31) on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Seattle. The 49ers won the game, 19-17. (AP Photo/Greg Trott)
San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) tries to make a tackle while blocked by Seattle Seahawks tight end Zach Miller (86) during the NFL week 7 football game on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012 in San Francisco. The 49ers won the game 13-6. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman comes down with an interception ahead of San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver Randy Moss in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in Seattle. The Seahawks beat the 49ers 42-13. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes against the defense of San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker Patrick Willis (52) in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks; SanFrancisco 49ers; NFC Championship; NFL Playoffs; Kam Chancellor
Seattle Seahawks; SanFrancisco 49ers; NFC Championship; NFL Playoffs; Jermaine Kearse
SEATTLE, WA - JANUARY 19: Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks tips the ball up in the air as outside linebacker Malcolm Smith #53 catches it to clinch the victory for the Seahawks against the San Francisco 49ers during the 2014 NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on January 19, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman tips a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers' Michael Crabtree (15) in the final seconds of the second half of the NFL football NFC Championship game Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014, in Seattle. Malcolm Smith intercepted the tipped pass. The Seahawks won 23-17 to advance to Super Bowl XLVIII. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell, left, intercepts a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree, right, in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse (15) catches a 35-yard touchdown pass at 13:44 of the fourth quarter of the NFL NFC Championship playoff football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, January 19, 2014 in Seattle. The Seahawks won the game 23-17. (AP Photo/Paul Jasienski)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Paul Richardson (10) heads downfield during an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Nov. 27, 2014, in Santa Clara, Ca. The Seahawks won the game, 19-3. (AP Photo/Greg Trott)
Seattle Seahawks' Bobby Wagner, left, closes in on San Francisco 49ers' Carlos Hyde, right, in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett (72) sacks San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls (34) drops the ball after scoring a touchdown ahead of San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker Michael Wilhoite (57) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham (88) catches the ball against San Francisco 49ers free safety Eric Reid (35) during an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Seattle. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers, 37-18. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Seattle Seahawks' Jeremy Lane (20) tackles San Francisco 49ers' Raheem Mostert (31) during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
In this third in a series of seven photos, Seattle Seahawks tight end Luke Willson leaps over San Francisco 49ers cornerback Will Redmond, left, as defensive tackle D.J. Jones (93) looks on during the first half of an NFL football game, Sept. 17, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle's Derick Hall and Leonard Williams put a punishing hit on 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy late in the game.
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas cradles the football after his key interception in the fourth quarter.
Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba signals after a first down.
Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams shows off his NFC West Champions hat.
The Seahawks sideline reacts as returner Rashid Shaheed speeds by them on a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the game.
Seattle's DeMarcus Lawrence forces a fumble by 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in the third quarter.
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV forces his second turnover of the game with an interception in the third quarter.
Quarterback Sam Darnold and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba celebrate after the duo connected for a touchdown in the first half.
Seattle's "Dark Side" defense gang tackles 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey early in the game.
