NFL Insider names 49ers X-Factor for Week 18 showdown vs. Seahawks

The San Francisco 49ers offense was firing on all cylinders in last Sunday night’s 42-38 win over the Chicago Bears. San Francisco caught fire when Brock Purdy returned from a turf toe injury, winning six straight games and improving to 12-4. Now the 49ers will face the Seattle Seahawks with the division title and the No. 1 seed on the line. But Trent Williams’ hamstring injury could be the difference in the NFC West showdown.

“I think the game plan is gonna be really contingent upon the availability of Trent Williams. I’m not so sure he plays… coming off the hammy. And that is massive,” Mina Kimes said, per NFL on ESPN. “We think of him as being so important, obviously, in pass protection. And we know how good this Seahawks four-man rush is… but to me, where his presence looms largest, is on the ground,” Kimes noted.

“If they can’t run the ball well, I think that’s a problem. Because you don’t want Brock constantly in drop-back situations.”

Is the NFC’s No. 1 seed riding on Trent Williams’ hamstring?

Purdy has played at an elite level since his Week 11 return. And Christian McCaffrey reached the 2,000-scrimmage yard mark with 327 total yards and three touchdowns in the last two games.

But Williams’ availability could be pivotal to the 49ers’ success on Sunday. The 15th-year veteran rebounded from an ankle injury that sidelined him for the final seven games last season. He’s yet to miss a start this year. But Williams and George Kittle are questionable for Week 18.

“Since the beginning of 2024, when Trent Williams plays, the Niners average 4.6 yards per carry. Without him that drops to 4. That might not sound like a lot [but] that’s the difference between the sixth- or seventh-best rushing attack in football and the 28th,” Kimes added.

The veteran tackle left the Bears game after the first play – a pick-six by T.J. Edwards. Austen Pleasants filled in for Williams for the remainder of the Week 17 matchup. And the 49ers offense put up pinball numbers in the 12-time Pro Bowler’s absence. But the Seahawks’ stout defense presents a far more difficult challenge.

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