49ers defense holding firm vs. Seahawks despite missing Charvarius Ward

Charvarius Ward might be out for the game with a groin injury, but the 49ers defense has held firm in a pivotal divisional matchup with big ramifications.

The San Francisco 49ers are on a quest for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and they're currently in a good position for another win as they currently lead 28-16 late in the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks in a NFC West battle.

Despite a fast start thanks to a long run from running back Christian McCaffrey, the Niners took a 7-0 lead but it soon became clear this could be a potential letdown spot as the Seahawks took a 10-7 lead thereafter.

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Some of this was because the 49ers lost their No. 1 corner in Charvarius Ward, and the talented corner has stayed out of the game with a groin injury from which he hasn't returned.

Despite this, the Niners have been able to have a defensive performance that's allowed a slightly malfunctioning offense time to recover and get the lead. The Seahawks did recover with a late touchdown, but the 49ers keep the lead heading into the final quarter.

However, San Francisco will be facing the final quarter with more losses on the defensive front, with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave taken out of the game, too, with a hamstring injury and linebacker Dre Greenlaw hobbling after suffering a blow to the side of his leg.

The 49ers don't have to win pretty, however. If they can hold onto the lead for the final quarter, they'll go 10-3 and have the NFC West essentially cinched up.

After that, it's only a question of how good their seed will be for the playoffs.