The stage is set \u2013 two rivals in the final game of the regular season vying for the division title and\u00a0the conference’s No. 1 playoff seed.<\/p>\n
San Francisco cornerback\u00a0Deommodore\u00a0Lenoir never is one to shy away from a battle, and he let that be known for the Seattle Seahawks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey know what time it is, I\u00a0ain’t\u00a0got to say too much,\u201d Lenoir told reporters after\u00a0the\u00a049ers’ 42-38 win over the Chicago Bears on\u00a0Sunday.<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Saturday night\u2019s matchup between the 49ers and Seahawks will be almost four months after their first showdown in Week\u00a01, which\u00a0San Francisco won 17-13 in a thriller<\/a>\u00a0to kick off the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n After a rollercoaster season, the 49ers remarkably are in a spot which would have been unimaginable\u00a0at the end of October when the team dropped to a 5-3\u00a0record.\u00a0<\/p>\n San Francisco is 7-1 since, and Lenoir and the 49ers are brimming with confidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0a blessing. A lot of people counted us out,\u201d Lenoir explained. \u201cTo everybody else, we [weren\u2019t] supposed to be where\u00a0we\u2019re at\u00a0now. So,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0just proving the doubters wrong, it just feels great.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n With the game on Saturday,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a short week of rest for the 49ers.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0not ideal, but\u00a0the opportunity to clinch home field advantage for the playoffs\u00a0with a win over their division rivals makes for a sweet moment for coach Kyle Shanahan\u2019s team.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI mean,\u00a0we’ve\u00a0earned this. This is the game that we want,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cWe love that\u00a0it’s\u00a0here.\u00a0We’d\u00a0love an opportunity to never leave here again this year. And\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0got that opportunity Saturday night.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The 49ers are 7-1 against the Seahawks in their last eight matchups, including a San Francisco win in the wild-card round of the 2022 NFL Playoffs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Saturday\u2019s winner-take-all matchup has the makings of\u00a0a playoff\u00a0atmosphere at Levi\u2019s Stadium.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s playoff ball \u2013 playoff ball\u00a0been\u00a0started for us though,\u201d Lenoir said. \u201cWe just continue to do what we\u2019re doing and try to keep the opponent out of the end zone… and win the game.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The upcoming matchup also is reminiscent of the two teams playing for\u00a0the NFC West title in the\u00a0final game of the 2019 season<\/a>. The 49ers\u00a0stopped the Seahawks on a fourth-down play\u00a0at the goal line to hold on to a 26-21 win\u00a0to\u00a0clinch\u00a0the division title and the No. 1 seed that season. \u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s\u00a0fair to say that both the 49ers and the Seahawks, as Lenoir said, know what time it is.<\/p>\n