Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers Prediction and Preview – AthlonSports.com
Seahawks, 49ers renew their rivalry at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday afternoon
The NFC West portion of the schedule kicks off this week when the Seattle Seahawks (1-2) face off against the San Francisco 49ers (2-1). These two teams, along with their respective fans, can’t stand bases. So there should be a wild scene at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, as this game will have fans in the stands, unlike the 2020 season.
Related: Top 5 San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks Games
Seattle comes into this rivalry game after losing two in a row, a 30-17 decision on the road against Minnesota last week. The Seahawks started well as they did against Tennessee and took the lead 17-7 in the first half. They couldn’t maintain momentum, however, and the defense had fewer than zero answers for Kirk Cousins, who played like John Elway in his prime. Cousins set Seattle on fire for 323 yards and three touchdowns. The Vikings made up for the ball without injured pro bowler Dalvin Cook when Alexander Mattison rumbled 112 yards on 26 carries. Russell Wilson and the offense could not keep their hot start as it was clear that the spectators at US Bank Stadium had an impact on the unit’s communication.
San Francisco should be very angry this week after losing a 30:28 heartbreaker to Green Bay last Sunday night. The 49ers didn’t get off to a good start, trailing 17-0 in the first half, but stepped up their game and rallied to take the lead 28:27 in the fourth quarter. That lead came with only 37 seconds remaining, but there was still enough time for Aaron Rodgers to get the ball into field goal territory to prepare Mason Crosby to finish the game-winning 51-yard field goal on the final play Great game.
Seattle (1-2) in San Francisco (2-1)
Kicking off: Sunday, October 3 at 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Spread: 49er -3
Three things to see
1. Defense of the Seahawks
The past six quarters have been utterly appalling for Seattle’s defense. Last week the Seahawks couldn’t put enough pressure on Cousins, who was released only once and hit a total of four times. That gave him plenty of time to sit back and improve coverage, which he did with 323 yards and three touchdowns on 30-of-38 passes. Seattle also didn’t force sales as Minnesota finished the game 453 yards in 72 games and held the ball for nearly 36 minutes of play. In the past two weeks, the Seahawks have been on the field for 155 defensive snaps while the offense has played 102 games. This is a big reason they are giving up the worst 440.3 yards per game that can’t go on if Seattle is looking to return to the playoffs.
Well with all of these problems, how can you fix the defense in a short amount of time? It starts with Carlos Dunlap II, who didn’t get off to a good start with only three tackles without sacks. If that defense is on the right track, it begins with Dunlap stepping up his game, along with fellow pass-rusher fellows Darrell Taylor, Rasheem Green and Alton Robinson. Linebacker Bobby Wagner can also play a key role in leading this defense on course and moving everyone on this side of the ball in the same direction.
2. Offense of the 49ers
Head coach Kyle Shanahan should be licking his chops on offense this week with his game plan. San Francisco has the option to put everything on the offensive after inconsistent appearances in the first three games. The 49ers averaged 28.7 points and 348.7 yards per game, but the offense had to deal with multiple injuries, especially in the backcourt. Even so, it hasn’t stopped this team from getting off to a good start in the rugged NFC west.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been solid so far, completing 67.4 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and one interception. Last week, first-round pick Trey Lance came in just before half time, scoring a goal on a one-yard touchdown run to finally get San Francisco on the board. Lance has only seen limited snapshots so far, but he’s shown his potential and his skills provide Shanahan with another weapon to use in his games.
On Sunday, expect Shanahan to look for ways to include Deebo Samuel and George Kittle early as the duo could be all sorts of headaches for the Seattle defense. Second year wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk also appears to be settling in after failing to start at the season opener or seeing a single goal. Don’t be surprised if Shanahan chooses lots of intersecting routes down the middle to try to soften up the defenses and set up the running game. After missing with a shoulder injury last week, leading rusher Elijah Mitchell could return, but the 49ers also have rookie Trey Sermon and versatile full-back Kyle Juszczyk as backfield options. However Shanahan works it out, the Seahawks know they will have their hands full.
3. Can the Seahawks offense play a full game?
The first 30 minutes of football have been fine so far for Russell Wilson and Co. in 2021 as they scored 55 points in the first two quarters. It’s the second half where things have stalled, a by-product of the quarterback and its playmakers pushing. This offense must show consistent execution, rather than relying on the all-or-nothing low-percentage ball. By putting together longer drives versus focusing on the quick shot, the offense can help the defense by limiting their time on the field. More time with the ball may also speed up the learning curve for the offensive in the new system under new coordinator Shane Waldron. Against San Francisco, look for shorter to medium passes for Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Will Dissly, and others to slow the 49ers’ aggressive pass frenzy led by Nick Bosa. It would also be appropriate for Seattle to try to emphasize as much as possible the wacky San Francisco secondary school, much like Rodgers and the Packers did last week.
Final analysis
The Seahawks have recovered from a difficult start to the season in the past and reached the playoffs. Seattle started 2-0 under Pete Carroll in 2015 and 2018 to get into the postseason. However, these teams had at least one defense that could step up and play at critical moments, while this year remains to be seen. In the fast forward to this week’s game, it’s up to the defense to step up and do their part as the Seahawks are best when they click in all three phases of the game. You’ll be making some incremental strides on defense this week by forcing a turnover or two. But it won’t be enough to win, because the 49ers pull away to victory in the second half.
