The San Francisco 49ers are eagerly awaiting their chance to avenge their Divisional Round loss against the Seattle Seahawks. They opened last year with an impressive win in Seattle but were defeated both at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs. The latter was a 41-6 embarrassment that ended their season.
This year, however, the 49ers may have a man on the inside. Former San Francisco tight ends coach Brian Fleury is now the Seahawks' offensive coordinator.
Though he may not know it, the Niners might benefit greatly from having one of their own in the rival camp.
Over the summer, Fleury discussed his desire to bring elements of the 49ers offense with him to his new city. Therefore, the red and gold could see some familiar aspects to the opposing scheme. Even if he steals a few minor details, it represents a much-needed advantage the Niners could exploit when the two conference foes face off.
49ers will add Brian Fleury to the list of Seahawks insiders
Fleury is not the only Seahawk the 49ers are familiar with. Sam Darnold spent a season as Brock Purdy's understudy learning under QB whisperer Kyle Shanahan, before venturing off on his own. Last season, Darnold, as exciting as his career revival may be, did little to exact revenge upon his former team in 2025. In fact, the Seahawks beat San Francisco twice in spite of Darnold, not because of him.
The veteran registered just one touchdown in his three games against Shanahan and Co. He only threw the ball 66 times for a meager 157.3 yards per game. In short, Seattle didn't need its quarterback to win. It relied on the defense and run game to do the heavy lifting.
The Seahawks' winning formula was clear last year. In their losses, they ran the ball for just 84 yards. In their two wins, they ran for 175 and 180 yards, respectively.
49ers should have clear game plan in Week 6 matchup against Seahawks
The 49ers must learn from their past failures and plan for a run-heavy attack. Hopefully, their knowledge of both Fleury and Darnold will aid them in this effort.
Every offensive coordinator has tendencies and nuances in their scheme. It's human nature. San Francisco's knowledge of the Seahawks play caller could give it a significant advantage, since Shanahan and Co. know how he operates from the seven seasons he spent in the Bay.
If all goes well, the 49ers should put up a much better fight against their division rivals than they did last year.
With a revamped defense and Purdy playing at an MVP level, this week's divisional matchup may have a much different feel to it.
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