Even without their magnetic young quarterbacks, today’s 49ers – Seahawks matchup would be the game to watch: Two playoff-bound division rivals playing their penultimate regular-season game in the noisily forbidding Clink. And then there are the QBs. After early season starts that saw him bailing from the pocket like a Jefferson nickel, Russell Wilson is proving to be the leader that Pete Carroll insisted he was when he skipped over the higher-paid Matt Flynn to make rookie Wilson the starter. On the San Fran side of the bill, Colin Kaepernick comes with even more drama, replacing a winning if not exciting Alex Smith five weeks ago to the shock of a reenergized Niners Nation. All this makes for great TV, and the NFL last week announced it was moving the game to this evening, bumping the Jets and Chargers from the marquee time slot. That’s a mixed blessing for people going to the game, as it will surely mean even colder nighttime temperatures to bear with the December rain. But in a city always so insecure about its pro-sports cred, it’s good to feel wanted. DANIEL PERSON

Sun., Dec. 23, 5:20 p.m., 2012