The Seahawks-49ers rivalry was at its peak when they played their first Thanksgiving Day game against each other in 2014 at the new Levi’s Stadium.
The Seahawks won 19-3, and afterward, NBC set up a Thanksgiving spread on the 49ers logo at midfield where Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson memorably chewed on turkey legs during their postgame interview.
49ers owner Jed York apologized to fans for the team’s performance on Twitter, marking the beginning of the end of John Harbaugh’s coaching tenure there.
Nine years later, the 49ers head to Seattle for both teams’ first Thanksgiving Day game since that 2014 showdown. The Seahawks are 2-2 all-time on Thanksgiving, and the 49ers are 0-2.
The rivalry turned considerably one-sided last season, with the 49ers winning all three matchups — including a playoff victory in Santa Clara — and outscoring the Seahawks by a combined margin of 89-43.
First place in the NFC West is on the line Thursday night, the first of two matchups between the Seahawks and 49ers over an 18-day period.
Week 12
Seahawks (6-4) vs. 49ers (7-3)
5:20 p.m. Thursday at Lumen Field
TV: NBC
Radio: 710 ESPN Seattle
Line: 49ers opened as a 7-point favorite
Purdy perfect
The Niners took over sole possession of first place in the division with their 27-14 victory at home over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, coupled with the Seahawks’ 17-16 loss at the Rams.
Brock Purdy, the 49ers’ second-year QB, completed 21 of 25 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns, giving him a perfect passer rating of 158.3. He’s the first San Francisco QB to do that in a full game since Steve Young and Joe Montana both did it in 1989.
“What an honor,” Purdy told reporters after the game. “But at the same time, I feel like there’s still some plays and stuff that I wish I had back. So I’m not completely content with just that, but I thought it was a great game with the guys around me, the coaching and the play-calling, all of it. I think that’s a testament to the team, really.”
Purdy was especially effective against Tampa’s man-to-man defense. All three of his TD passes came against man coverage, and he leads the NFL with 16 TD passes against man this season, according to ESPN.
After a 5-0 start to the season, the 49ers lost three in a row — at Cleveland, at Minnesota and at home to Cincinnati — entering their Week 9 bye.
They’re 2-0 since the bye, with a convincing 34-3 victory at Jacksonville, followed by the win over the Bucs on Sunday. Purdy is a combined 40 of 51 for 629 passing yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions the past two weeks.
Kittle watch
Christian McCaffrey, in his first full season with the 49ers, leads the NFL with 825 yards rushing and 14 total touchdowns — nine rushing and five receiving.
McCaffrey rushed for 108 yards and 119 yards in his two appearances against the Seahawks last season.
The real matchup problem for the Seahawks has been tight end George Kittle, who has scored two touchdowns in each of his last two visits to Seattle.
Kittle had eight catches for 89 yards and a TD against the Bucs on Sunday.
“Very excited about Thursday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks. Short week. Shoutout to the Rams — good job guys, good job Mike LaFleur. All that means is Seattle’s going to be a little angry and it’s going to be a great game up there,” Kittle said Sunday, via The San Jose Mercury News. “It’s one of my favorite atmospheres and places to play. They absolutely hate us and what a great fan base to absolutely hate us. It’s really fun. It’s going to be an exciting game, a physical game, and we have to go up there and get a win.”
New safety
Rookie Ji’Ayir Brown is set to make his first start for the 49ers this week after All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga was lost Sunday to a torn ACL.
Brown, a third-round pick out of Penn State, gave up a 41-yard touchdown pass after replacing Hufanga in the third quarter Sunday, but he came through with three pass breakups after that and then sealed the victory with a diving interception in the end zone.
The 49ers entered Monday ranked as the league’s No. 2 defense in points allowed (15.7 per game), and their 19 takeaways and 79 QB hits are both the second most this season.
The Niners defense has more interceptions (14) than passing touchdowns allowed (11).
Nick Bosa, the reigning defensive player of the year, has 5.5 sacks in 10 games this season. Chase Young, acquired from the Commanders at the trade deadline, has 1.5 sacks in two games with the Niners.