When the San Francisco 49ers travel north for the Seattle Seahawks this week, the margin for error narrows considerably. Lumen Field has ended plenty of postseason runs, and the Seahawks enter as the NFC’s top seed for a reason.
If the Niners are going to survive the noise, the weather, and a physical division rival, their defensive front must dictate terms early.
And few players loom larger in that equation than edge rusher Keion White within a room that has underperformed this fall.
White’s path to this moment has been unconventional. A former second-round pick of the New England Patriots, his move to San Francisco placed him in a system that values versatility and physicality along the defensive line, and that investment paid off in a major way last week in Philadelphia in the Wild Card win over the Eagles.
Against the reigning Super Bowl champions on the road, White delivered one of the most impactful performances of his career, registering four total pressures and a timely sack of Jalen Hurts in a game defined by trench warfare.
Keion White will be vital to 49ers upsetting Seahawks
What makes White critical this week is his alignment flexibility. At 285 pounds with explosive burst, he can line up as a traditional edge, reduce inside on passing downs, or play heavy on early downs to help set the edge. That matters against a Seattle offense built around tailbacks Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet who form a punishing backfield duo, and the Seahawks are at their best when they can stay ahead of the chains.
On passing downs, White becomes even more valuable.
Sam Darnold has played efficient football within the structure of Seattle’s offense this fall, but pressure remains his biggest variable as he isn't the most fleet-of-foot signal-caller in football.
White’s ability to bend the edge to either shoulder of the tackle allows him to collapse pockets rather than simply run past quarterbacks, which should force Darnold to move off his spot and speed up his internal clock.
For San Francisco, the formula is clear: win first down, force 3rd-and-long situations, and let the pass rush take over.
White is central to all three phases, and if he can replicate last week’s physical dominance and continue to affect the quarterback, the 49ers give themselves a legitimate path to punching their ticket to the NFC title game.