49ers face Seahawks in win-or-go-home playoff rematch

• They're set to face off once more at 5pm Saturday at Lumen Field. Whoever emerges victorious will advance to the NFC championship, which will determine who plays in the Super Bowl.

Between the lines: Their last game was a brutal beating for the Niners. I, along with many other Bay Area fans, did not believe they'd be able recover from it.

• Hope has infected the region once again though, after San Francisco rallied to stun the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round. The red-and-gold palette that defines 49ers merch was spotted everywhere this week.

Behind the scenes: The Seahawks, the NFC's No. 1 seed, have had two weeks of rest since their last match, while the 49ers will have had only one.

• The injury-ravaged Niners will need to hit the Hawks hard on their weakness — turnovers — and shore up their defense to match Seattle's.

Catch up quick: The two teams were evenly matched in their first game in Week 1, with the Niners winning 17-13 after third-string tight end Jake Tonges' touchdown at the end of the fourth quarter gave them the edge.

• In their second game, in the regular season finale, the Hawks held the Niners to only three points, deploying incredible defensive plays to beat them 13-3.
• The 49ers gained only 173 yards that day, the fewest in any regular-season game under head coach Kyle Shanahan, who was hired in 2017.

Yes, but: San Francisco still has a shot with All-Pro offensive tackle Trent Williams, who missed the last Niners-Hawks face-off, expected to play.

• Besides, if anyone can pull off another comeback, it's the 49ers.