I don't know how exactly this game is going to shake out, but the 49ers social media team is back to get folks fired up for the game. Although both teams are 2-4, and Jim Harbaugh has departed, the Seattle Seahawks remain the 49ers most notable rival.
We don't know how this rivalry will evolve in the coming years, but for Thursday Night Football, this might be the biggest non-playoff game of the recent rivalry. The regular season games have generally been intense, but you could argue none has had the implications of this one. The loser of this game is effectively out of the playoff race. Obviously things can change, but a 2-5 team is in a rough spot. The winner is not guaranteed anything, but a 3-4 record keeps them no more than two games back of the Arizona Cardinals at the top of the division.
For the 49ers, this game is a chance to try and validate some of the things we've seen the last two weeks against the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants. Can Colin Kaepernick conquer his Seahawks demons? Can the defense get on track after a pair of less than stellar performances?
For the Seahawks, they are trying to turn things around after a pair of losses featuring their third and fourth blown fourth quarter leads this season. They have problems on the offensive line and in certain aspects of the secondary, but they are still a talented team.
It is easy to have big rivalry games when both teams are on top of the football world. The real rivalries are the ones that survive the down times. Right now it is not pretty for either team, but there is tremendous importance to this game. Outsiders might overlook it given the 2-4 records, but the rivalry remains important.