SEATTLE (AP) — Once Josh Jacobs slipped past the last line of Seattle’s defense, all that was in front of him was open field and a place among the greatest single-game performances in NFL history.

Jacobs sprinted 86 yards for a game-ending touchdown and the Las Vegas Raiders won in overtime for the second straight week, beating the Seahawks 40-34 on Sunday.

“When I hit the gap, I see a big hole and I just tried to run as fast as I can,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs finished with a franchise record of 229 yards rushing and two scores. He also had six catches for 74 yards, and his 303 yards from scrimmage were the most in franchise history and the seventh-most in a game in the Super Bowl era.

Jacobs had never had a touchdown run longer than 28 yards, and his extraordinary dash was reminiscent of the Raiders’ Bo Jackson running untouched for a long TD against the Seahawks at the Kingdome on Nov. 30, 1987.

Not bad for a guy who’d been listed as questionable for the game with a calf injury. There was nothing uncertain about Jacobs’ play once he took the field.

“To see him finish like that, I know what he’s been dealing with, I know how hard he works. It was really cool to see that,” Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said.

Las Vegas (4-7) finished with 283 yards rushing and its 576 total yards were the third-most ever allowed by the Seahawks (6-5), who fell one game behind San Francisco in the NFC West.

“He’s hard to bring down. He’s a tough runner with good balance. You really gotta wrap him up,” Seattle defensive tackle Shelby Harris said. “He’s not one of those backs that gets touched and falls. He makes his money off breaking tackles and getting those extra yards.”

Las Vegas forced overtime thanks to Carr’s 5-yard touchdown toss to Foster Moreau in the corner of the end zone with 1:54 remaining that made it 34-all. Carr threw an interception on the first play of the game but finished 25 of 36 for 295 yards and three touchdowns.

The Raiders also got a break when Jacobs appeared to fumble inside the 10 just before Moreau’s touchdown catch, but officials ruled his forward progress had been stopped.

“It started from the first play to the last play. The first play is an interception and the last play is a touchdown,” Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said. “There was a lot of swings in the game.”

Seattle lost its second straight after falling to Tampa Bay two weeks ago in Germany. Geno Smith was 27 of 37 for 328 yards and two touchdowns. But Seattle’s rushing attack struggled for the second straight game, although Kenneth Walker III ran for two TDs.

In overtime, Daniel Carlson missed a 56-yard field goal attempt on Las Vegas’ first possession. But Seattle went three-and-out, and on the next play from scrimmage, Jacobs broke free.

Jacobs became the fourth player in the Super Bowl era with at least 300 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in a game, and the first since Adrian Peterson set the single-game record for rushing yards (296) in 2007. He’s the first player since at least 1950 with at least 225 yards rushing and 70 yards receiving in the same game.

“It’s kind of crazy, coming in and not knowing if I was going to play, looking the guys in the eyes and telling them they’re going to get everything they’ve got in me,” Jacobs said.

The 86-yard TD run was the fourth-longest overtime touchdown in league history.

“Josh was really terrific today. He had a great game and we didn’t tackle as well as we needed to and we didn’t scheme as well as we needed to,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.

For most of the game, it appeared Las Vegas would squander its chance to win despite its unstoppable rushing attack. McDaniels twice decided to kick field goals instead of keeping his offense on the field. He also called a head-scratching toss sweep to Jacobs on fourth down in the fourth quarter that Seattle stopped.

But Carr was terrific on the tying drive in regulation. He went 6 of 8, including a spectacular one-handed catch by Davante Adams for 28 yards, and he floated the touchdown pass to Moreau perfectly into the back corner.

Seattle had a final chance to win in regulation and appeared to have a first down near midfield on Smith’s pass to DK Metcalf with 57 seconds left. But after a lengthy review it was determined Metcalf didn’t have control of the ball as he rolled over and hit the sideline. Smith was sacked by Maxx Crosby on the next play and Seattle punted.

INJURIES

Raiders DT Andrew Billings limped off the field in the fourth quarter and was later carted to the locker room. … Seattle S Ryan Neal suffered an elbow injury in overtime and backup Josh Jones took a poor angle on Jacobs’ winning run.

THROWBACKS

The Seahawks announced that sometime during the 2023 season the team will wear throwback uniforms with the silver helmets, blue jerseys and silver pants Seattle sported in the 1990s.

UP NEXT

Raiders: Host the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday.

Seahawks: At the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

The post Jacobs caps large day with TD in OT, Raiders beat Seahawks – KGET 17 appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

***As most of you know, Cigar Thoughts is now a podcast. One of the perks of the pod is getting these articles in audio form, in addition to our sit-downs with our amazing guests. You can listen to all the shows, including this article, right here:

—

The fact that this game carried as much import as it did says a lot about how far the Seattle Seahawks have come in such a short time. It also served as a litmus test, as the San Francisco 49ers came to town engorged on the blood of their last six foes. It wasn’t that long ago that this was the best rivalry in the NFL and with the Seahawks rising and the 49ers near the top of the heap, we may be headed back that way. But right now, in this moment, there is a clear difference in talent, execution, and experience between these two teams, and that disparity was on display for the entire country tonight.

—

The Seahawks started the game with the ball and immediately picked up a first down when Geno Smith followed up a six-yard Ken Walker III run with a five-yard completion to Tyler Lockett. It was a nice lil pop to keep a frenzied crowd titillated but the drive would stall after that. Damien Lewis got beat on a screen pass to Walker III for a loss of three and Smith threw consecutive incompletions, leading to a Michael Dickson punt that pinned the Niners at their own 10.

As the 49ers prepared for their first possession, Seattle’s much-maligned defense took the field having forced the fewest three-and-outs in the NFL. San Francisco’s offense, for their part, had committed the fewest, but the Seahawks immediately forced San Francisco off the field anyway. Cody Barton strung a Christian McCaffrey run out on first down, Jordyn Brooks snuffed a short completion to George Kittle, and Ryan Neal wrapped up McCaffrey short of the sticks to end the drive. Exactly what we needed to see and, more importantly, what that defense needed to feel.

From then on, however, the 49ers defense did what they’ve been doing all season, and it led to a quick three and out highlighted by a Talanoa Hufanga sack that knocked the ball from Smith’s hands. The Niners offense would be getting a lot more run if it wasn’t for the unmatched prowess of their defense, and they showed exactly what makes them so dangerous on their next drive. With their monstrous offensive line creating holes, McCaffrey used his shiftiness and explosion to exploit the gaps for big gains. And when he wasn’t rookie Brock Purdy calmly distributed the ball all over the field.

The steady march culminated in a beautiful play design that was executed flawlessly by Brock Purdy. On it, Purdy faked one swing pass, then turned and pantomimed another before pivoting back to the middle of the field to find a slanting Kittle wide open. Kittle caught the pass and weaved his way through the last two defenders and into the endzone to make it 7-0.

The Seahawks offense continued their struggle, going three-and-out on their next two drives, leaving them with just 11 total yards on their first 11 plays. Fortunately, the defense did their part, taking advantage of 49ers penalties to stop two promising drives themselves and the punt-fest continued.

Smith got rolling on the next possession, finding DK Metcalf on consecutive throws for consecutive first downs. And when it looked like the momentum would stop faced with 3rd & 13 a couple snaps later, Geno kept it pushin’. As he dropped back to pass, Smith found no one open and leaked out to the right. As he approached the line of scrimmage, he pump-faked to freeze the isolated defender then gained the edge for a 15-yard scramble. A Walker III run and an out route to Noah Fant gained another first down before the drive finally sputtered out at the 20. Jason Myers trotted out and banged home a 38-yard field goal to close the gap at 7-3 and the game suddenly felt different.

The 49ers got another first down on their next possession before Purdy finally made his first mistake. Standing in a clean pocket, Purdy tossed one over the middle— right to Quandre Diggs. The ball hit Diggs in the chest but he couldn’t clasp it and it fell incomplete. It happened on third down so the Niners had to punt anyway but the drop cost Seattle at least 40 yards of field position with less than two minutes to go in the half and made scoring a whole lot tougher.

Still, it was a big stop for a struggling defense and the good vibes continued when Smith found Lockett and Marquis Goodwin on consecutive plays for a first down. Feeling the flow, the Seahawks stayed no huddle and Travis Homer took it up the middle for five more. Smith went back to Homer with a little arrow route on the next snap, but Dre Greenlaw absolutely leveled him with a huge hit and the ball sprung free. Charvarious Ward scooped it up and returned it all the way down to Seattle’s 7. Two McCaffrey plunges later, the 49ers were knocking an extra point through the uprights to make it 14-3, where it would stay until halftime.

The 49ers opened the third quarter with a big kick return and stepped on Seattle’s throat on their next play from scrimmage. Purdy dropped back as Kittle exploded out of his stance, and then just… didn’t get covered by anybody. Purdy hit him with ease for a huge gain and Kittle summarily dismissed Diggs and Barton inside the 10 for the long score. 21-3, and what felt like a close game less than two minutes of clock time ago was suddenly on the brink of a blowout.

The Seahawks’ once burning fire had been reduced to embers and those were nearly stamped out completely when Geno underthrew Lockett a couple snaps later. The pass was undercut by Deommodore Lenoir, who returned it for a touchdown that was waived off by an admittedly bullshit roughing call against Nick Bosa. Granted a break, Smith was able to hit Metcalf three times on the drive, as the Seahawks inched it close enough for Myers to hammer a 51-yarder through the uprights. 21-6.

After that it was a whole bunch of not scoring, with nary a real chance at it, until the Niners missed a short field goal with five minutes left in the game. It didn’t seem like much at the time but it kept the Seahawks within two scores. Through 55 minutes, Seattle had managed just two field goals but they weren’t ready to give up the ghost on the division just yet. Smith and Co took the field and got to work.

Geno found Metcalf for nine and after Walker III picked up the first down, hit Will Dissly for 13. Two plays later, Smith slung it out to Walker III in the right flat and the rookie smoked the lone defender’s pursuit angle to the sideline and turned upfield for 33. Despite the urgency of the situation, Smith remained calm and followed that big completion up with a seam pass to Noah Fant for a 10-yard touchdown that brought Seattle within eight at 21-13 with three and a half minutes left.

One more stop, and the Seahawks would get the ball back with an improbable shot at tying the game. That stop never came, however, as McCaffrey picked up one first down and Purdy scrambled for another, barely sliding past the first down marker and costing Seattle their final timeout on the ensuing unsuccessful challenge. From there, Seattle’s best case scenario was to force one last stop and get the ball back with about 30 seconds left. Instead, Jordan Mason burst through a well-blocked hole on the left side and juked Ryan Neal in the open field, streaking all the way down to the 2 before Mike Jackson knocked him out of bounds. Still, that run served as the finisher, and Purdy kneeled out the clock from there.

—

SMOKE RINGS

~Games like this— scratch that— defenses like this make it tough to judge a quarterback. Geno Smith was under siege all night, with San Francisco’s monstrous front seven making it difficult to get through his reads and eliminating any of the boot-action / moving-pocket schemes Seattle likes to employ. And on the back end, the Niners secondary stuck to Seattle’s receivers like flypaper, providing exactly zero margin for error. They’ve been annihilating the stat lines of opposing quarterbacks all season long and today was no different, as they reduced Geno’s remarkable season-long efficiency to rubble until the final drive.

When the dust settled, Smith’s numbers were decent considering the circumstances. He dropped back to pass a career-high 47 times, completing 31 of 44 throws for 238 yards, a touchdown, and no picks while taking 3 sacks in the process. All told Seattle finished with just 207 net yards passing, or 4.5 yards per play. Sheesh.

Geno has narrowly avoided a lot of interceptions recently and that continued again today. An endzone shot in the first half went through Tanaloa Mufanga’s hands and the call that erased the pick-six was honestly brutal. His final numbers were fine, and he stayed true to his process until the bitter end, but this was not a great performance. No one’s is against these guys, though, and the 10 second half points Seattle scored was the most anyone has in seven games.

~Yards were just so difficult to come by today and that’s reflected in Ken Walker III’s final line. For the fourth time in five games, Seattle found themselves down early and never got their run game into any kind of rhythm. Walker III finished with an underwhelming 47 yards on 12 carries but chipped in 32 more on four receptions. 77 total yards is just fine considering the circumstances.

I love Travis Homer and my confidence doesn’t waver one iota when he’s on the field. His fumble really hurt Seattle’s chances today, and you could see how bad he felt after, but I’m not sure there’s anybody who holds onto the ball the way Dre Greenlaw hit him.

~DK Metcalf is the coolest for so many reasons but my favorite is the deep personal offense he takes at the gall of any cornerback daring to line up against him. It’s even better when that cornerback is someone like Charvarius Ward, who is just as fearless. These two tussled all game long, locking facemasks on every run play and battling for each pass like flags don’t exist. Just awesome to watch.

As far as his total output went, he was productive on a night when few others were. He caught seven passes for 55 yards on nine targets against phenomenal coverage and never backed down in the face of the best defense in the league.

Tyler Lockett also caught seven of nine targets, turning them into 68 yards and a bunch of first downs. He is the finesse to Metcalf’s power and he was out there wiggling his way into soft spots in the defense all night. He’s on his way to another remarkable season and remains the most consistent playmaker in the offense.

~Believe it or not, I think the offensive line did alright. I know I’m beating the hell out of this drum but it’s impossible to talk about any aspect of the offense without acknowledging just how good their defensive counterparts were in this one. Charles Cross and Abe Lucas were admirable against Nick Bosa and Samson Ebukam and three sacks is actually pretty good when you consider that they called 47 pass plays. The interior line held their own on most of the pass plays but were unable to create any holes big enough for Walker III to convert into long runs. That part of their game has really stalled out over the last five weeks.

~In the same way the 49ers defense creates constant tension for opposing offenses, their offense does the same. And that makes it tough on a team like Seattle, who still seems hesitant at the point of attack. Overall, I thought the defense played pretty well— certainly as well as any team has against the Niners lately— but the relentless pressure eventually creates, and then exploits, cracks in their opponents’ plumbing. And when those cracks give way, the 49ers explode. That’s what they did today, as Seattle kept them bottled up on the vast majority of their plays but when the opportunities were there, San Francisco maximized ‘em. The story of this game was the disparity in explosive plays.

Holding this offense to 21 points is really good but they allowed the Niners to wring out the clock with 170 yards rushing, pushing Seattle’s total over 1,000 yards allowed on the ground in the last five games. They gave up two long touchdowns to Kittle through the air but were actually excellent aside from those. Even with those two huge plays, they held the 49ers to 211 yards passing on 27 dropbacks and looked good in coverage aside from a couple blown assignments.

~Michael Dickson and Jason Myers might be the best players on this team right now. Dickson was sensational, punting 7 times at 50 yards per, pinning 3 of them inside the 10 including killing one inside the 1. Myers nailed both his kicks as he continues to be the most accurate kicker in the NFL this season, converting 96% of his field goals and 97% of his extra points. The crazy thing about it is almost every attempt he’s had this season has cleared the crossbar in the middle third. He’s not even making us sweat.

—

We lost a very close friend a couple days ago. Someone who fought so hard for the people in her life— who’s unrelenting optimism turned each occasion into a great time, and who went out of her way to help at every opportunity. Most importantly, she made everyone feel good about themselves whenever they were around her. There is a huge hole in my heart today, and in the hearts of hundreds of others. The world dimmed a little when she left us, but it’s much brighter than it was before she arrived.

Tonight’s outcome sucks, and it’s hard to watch the Seahawks stumble towards the finish line after such a promising start to the season. We care a lot about this team, this game, and it hurts to watch the 49ers clinch the division on the Seahawks’ field. But I’m reminded that this is just a game, and that I am so fortunate to be healthy, happy, and able to watch it with people I love.

Seattle’s arrow is still pointed up— maybe not as steeply as it was a month ago— but the team is young, fun, hungry, and brimming with potential. The postseason got a little further away today, but it’s very much still in play and the outlook for the ‘Hawks for the next few years is so much rosier than I would’ve imagined as recently as September.

I feel incredibly lucky to watch these guys play, and to have the opportunity to write about it for such a remarkable fanbase. I appreciate you guys so much and the fact that anyone reads this each week still blows me away. I’m grateful for y’all and I can’t wait to watch this team rise with you. Onward and upward. We love you Carmen.

—

Lit up one of the fanciest cigars I’ve ever had tonight. The Year of the Rabbit from Davidoff is very difficult to come by and I’m extremely grateful to the guys at Seattle Cigar Concierge for providing the rare opportunity to get my hands on some. Delicious stogie, it burns forever, holds its ash to the knuckle, and never pulls hot. Super enjoyable experience!

This is the 4th year of our incredible partnership with Seattle Cigar Concierge. They have the plug on some of the most insane stogies on the market and they’re offering them to Cigar Thoughts readers for 20% off. These are extremely special sticks, and among the most enjoyable I’ve ever smoked. To get the hook-up, just email SeattleCigarConcierge@GMail.com. They are carrying over 70 cigar brands with many rare releases, including Davidoff, Opus X, and Padron. You can also hit them up on Twitter: @SeattleCigars. Just be sure to mention that you’re a Cigar Thoughts reader. Many of you have taken advantage of this incredible opportunity and for those who have always wondered what elite cigars are like, this may the best chance you’ll get to step into that world.

The 2022 season of Cigar Thoughts is also proud to be sponsored by Fairhaven Floors and Brandon Nelson Partners in Bellingham, WA.

The post Cigar Ideas, Sport 14: Hole between Seattle and San Francisco stays evident as Seahawks fall to 49ers 21-13 appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

***As most of you know, Cigar Thoughts is now a podcast. One of the perks of the pod is getting these articles in audio form, in addition to our sit-downs with our amazing guests. You can listen to all the shows, including this article, right here:

—

The fact that this game carried as much import as it did says a lot about how far the Seattle Seahawks have come in such a short time. It also served as a litmus test, as the San Francisco 49ers came to town engorged on the blood of their last six foes. It wasn’t that long ago that this was the best rivalry in the NFL and with the Seahawks rising and the 49ers near the top of the heap, we may be headed back that way. But right now, in this moment, there is a clear difference in talent, execution, and experience between these two teams, and that disparity was on display for the entire country tonight.

—

The Seahawks started the game with the ball and immediately picked up a first down when Geno Smith followed up a six-yard Ken Walker III run with a five-yard completion to Tyler Lockett. It was a nice lil pop to keep a frenzied crowd titillated but the drive would stall after that. Damien Lewis got beat on a screen pass to Walker III for a loss of three and Smith threw consecutive incompletions, leading to a Michael Dickson punt that pinned the Niners at their own 10.

As the 49ers prepared for their first possession, Seattle’s much-maligned defense took the field having forced the fewest three-and-outs in the NFL. San Francisco’s offense, for their part, had committed the fewest, but the Seahawks immediately forced San Francisco off the field anyway. Cody Barton strung a Christian McCaffrey run out on first down, Jordyn Brooks snuffed a short completion to George Kittle, and Ryan Neal wrapped up McCaffrey short of the sticks to end the drive. Exactly what we needed to see and, more importantly, what that defense needed to feel.

From then on, however, the 49ers defense did what they’ve been doing all season, and it led to a quick three and out highlighted by a Talanoa Hufanga sack that knocked the ball from Smith’s hands. The Niners offense would be getting a lot more run if it wasn’t for the unmatched prowess of their defense, and they showed exactly what makes them so dangerous on their next drive. With their monstrous offensive line creating holes, McCaffrey used his shiftiness and explosion to exploit the gaps for big gains. And when he wasn’t rookie Brock Purdy calmly distributed the ball all over the field.

The steady march culminated in a beautiful play design that was executed flawlessly by Brock Purdy. On it, Purdy faked one swing pass, then turned and pantomimed another before pivoting back to the middle of the field to find a slanting Kittle wide open. Kittle caught the pass and weaved his way through the last two defenders and into the endzone to make it 7-0.

The Seahawks offense continued their struggle, going three-and-out on their next two drives, leaving them with just 11 total yards on their first 11 plays. Fortunately, the defense did their part, taking advantage of 49ers penalties to stop two promising drives themselves and the punt-fest continued.

Smith got rolling on the next possession, finding DK Metcalf on consecutive throws for consecutive first downs. And when it looked like the momentum would stop faced with 3rd & 13 a couple snaps later, Geno kept it pushin’. As he dropped back to pass, Smith found no one open and leaked out to the right. As he approached the line of scrimmage, he pump-faked to freeze the isolated defender then gained the edge for a 15-yard scramble. A Walker III run and an out route to Noah Fant gained another first down before the drive finally sputtered out at the 20. Jason Myers trotted out and banged home a 38-yard field goal to close the gap at 7-3 and the game suddenly felt different.

The 49ers got another first down on their next possession before Purdy finally made his first mistake. Standing in a clean pocket, Purdy tossed one over the middle— right to Quandre Diggs. The ball hit Diggs in the chest but he couldn’t clasp it and it fell incomplete. It happened on third down so the Niners had to punt anyway but the drop cost Seattle at least 40 yards of field position with less than two minutes to go in the half and made scoring a whole lot tougher.

Still, it was a big stop for a struggling defense and the good vibes continued when Smith found Lockett and Marquis Goodwin on consecutive plays for a first down. Feeling the flow, the Seahawks stayed no huddle and Travis Homer took it up the middle for five more. Smith went back to Homer with a little arrow route on the next snap, but Dre Greenlaw absolutely leveled him with a huge hit and the ball sprung free. Charvarious Ward scooped it up and returned it all the way down to Seattle’s 7. Two McCaffrey plunges later, the 49ers were knocking an extra point through the uprights to make it 14-3, where it would stay until halftime.

The 49ers opened the third quarter with a big kick return and stepped on Seattle’s throat on their next play from scrimmage. Purdy dropped back as Kittle exploded out of his stance, and then just… didn’t get covered by anybody. Purdy hit him with ease for a huge gain and Kittle summarily dismissed Diggs and Barton inside the 10 for the long score. 21-3, and what felt like a close game less than two minutes of clock time ago was suddenly on the brink of a blowout.

The Seahawks’ once burning fire had been reduced to embers and those were nearly stamped out completely when Geno underthrew Lockett a couple snaps later. The pass was undercut by Deommodore Lenoir, who returned it for a touchdown that was waived off by an admittedly bullshit roughing call against Nick Bosa. Granted a break, Smith was able to hit Metcalf three times on the drive, as the Seahawks inched it close enough for Myers to hammer a 51-yarder through the uprights. 21-6.

After that it was a whole bunch of not scoring, with nary a real chance at it, until the Niners missed a short field goal with five minutes left in the game. It didn’t seem like much at the time but it kept the Seahawks within two scores. Through 55 minutes, Seattle had managed just two field goals but they weren’t ready to give up the ghost on the division just yet. Smith and Co took the field and got to work.

Geno found Metcalf for nine and after Walker III picked up the first down, hit Will Dissly for 13. Two plays later, Smith slung it out to Walker III in the right flat and the rookie smoked the lone defender’s pursuit angle to the sideline and turned upfield for 33. Despite the urgency of the situation, Smith remained calm and followed that big completion up with a seam pass to Noah Fant for a 10-yard touchdown that brought Seattle within eight at 21-13 with three and a half minutes left.

One more stop, and the Seahawks would get the ball back with an improbable shot at tying the game. That stop never came, however, as McCaffrey picked up one first down and Purdy scrambled for another, barely sliding past the first down marker and costing Seattle their final timeout on the ensuing unsuccessful challenge. From there, Seattle’s best case scenario was to force one last stop and get the ball back with about 30 seconds left. Instead, Jordan Mason burst through a well-blocked hole on the left side and juked Ryan Neal in the open field, streaking all the way down to the 2 before Mike Jackson knocked him out of bounds. Still, that run served as the finisher, and Purdy kneeled out the clock from there.

—

SMOKE RINGS

~Games like this— scratch that— defenses like this make it tough to judge a quarterback. Geno Smith was under siege all night, with San Francisco’s monstrous front seven making it difficult to get through his reads and eliminating any of the boot-action / moving-pocket schemes Seattle likes to employ. And on the back end, the Niners secondary stuck to Seattle’s receivers like flypaper, providing exactly zero margin for error. They’ve been annihilating the stat lines of opposing quarterbacks all season long and today was no different, as they reduced Geno’s remarkable season-long efficiency to rubble until the final drive.

When the dust settled, Smith’s numbers were decent considering the circumstances. He dropped back to pass a career-high 47 times, completing 31 of 44 throws for 238 yards, a touchdown, and no picks while taking 3 sacks in the process. All told Seattle finished with just 207 net yards passing, or 4.5 yards per play. Sheesh.

Geno has narrowly avoided a lot of interceptions recently and that continued again today. An endzone shot in the first half went through Tanaloa Mufanga’s hands and the call that erased the pick-six was honestly brutal. His final numbers were fine, and he stayed true to his process until the bitter end, but this was not a great performance. No one’s is against these guys, though, and the 10 second half points Seattle scored was the most anyone has in seven games.

~Yards were just so difficult to come by today and that’s reflected in Ken Walker III’s final line. For the fourth time in five games, Seattle found themselves down early and never got their run game into any kind of rhythm. Walker III finished with an underwhelming 47 yards on 12 carries but chipped in 32 more on four receptions. 77 total yards is just fine considering the circumstances.

I love Travis Homer and my confidence doesn’t waver one iota when he’s on the field. His fumble really hurt Seattle’s chances today, and you could see how bad he felt after, but I’m not sure there’s anybody who holds onto the ball the way Dre Greenlaw hit him.

~DK Metcalf is the coolest for so many reasons but my favorite is the deep personal offense he takes at the gall of any cornerback daring to line up against him. It’s even better when that cornerback is someone like Charvarius Ward, who is just as fearless. These two tussled all game long, locking facemasks on every run play and battling for each pass like flags don’t exist. Just awesome to watch.

As far as his total output went, he was productive on a night when few others were. He caught seven passes for 55 yards on nine targets against phenomenal coverage and never backed down in the face of the best defense in the league.

Tyler Lockett also caught seven of nine targets, turning them into 68 yards and a bunch of first downs. He is the finesse to Metcalf’s power and he was out there wiggling his way into soft spots in the defense all night. He’s on his way to another remarkable season and remains the most consistent playmaker in the offense.

~Believe it or not, I think the offensive line did alright. I know I’m beating the hell out of this drum but it’s impossible to talk about any aspect of the offense without acknowledging just how good their defensive counterparts were in this one. Charles Cross and Abe Lucas were admirable against Nick Bosa and Samson Ebukam and three sacks is actually pretty good when you consider that they called 47 pass plays. The interior line held their own on most of the pass plays but were unable to create any holes big enough for Walker III to convert into long runs. That part of their game has really stalled out over the last five weeks.

~In the same way the 49ers defense creates constant tension for opposing offenses, their offense does the same. And that makes it tough on a team like Seattle, who still seems hesitant at the point of attack. Overall, I thought the defense played pretty well— certainly as well as any team has against the Niners lately— but the relentless pressure eventually creates, and then exploits, cracks in their opponents’ plumbing. And when those cracks give way, the 49ers explode. That’s what they did today, as Seattle kept them bottled up on the vast majority of their plays but when the opportunities were there, San Francisco maximized ‘em. The story of this game was the disparity in explosive plays.

Holding this offense to 21 points is really good but they allowed the Niners to wring out the clock with 170 yards rushing, pushing Seattle’s total over 1,000 yards allowed on the ground in the last five games. They gave up two long touchdowns to Kittle through the air but were actually excellent aside from those. Even with those two huge plays, they held the 49ers to 211 yards passing on 27 dropbacks and looked good in coverage aside from a couple blown assignments.

~Michael Dickson and Jason Myers might be the best players on this team right now. Dickson was sensational, punting 7 times at 50 yards per, pinning 3 of them inside the 10 including killing one inside the 1. Myers nailed both his kicks as he continues to be the most accurate kicker in the NFL this season, converting 96% of his field goals and 97% of his extra points. The crazy thing about it is almost every attempt he’s had this season has cleared the crossbar in the middle third. He’s not even making us sweat.

—

We lost a very close friend a couple days ago. Someone who fought so hard for the people in her life— who’s unrelenting optimism turned each occasion into a great time, and who went out of her way to help at every opportunity. Most importantly, she made everyone feel good about themselves whenever they were around her. There is a huge hole in my heart today, and in the hearts of hundreds of others. The world dimmed a little when she left us, but it’s much brighter than it was before she arrived.

Tonight’s outcome sucks, and it’s hard to watch the Seahawks stumble towards the finish line after such a promising start to the season. We care a lot about this team, this game, and it hurts to watch the 49ers clinch the division on the Seahawks’ field. But I’m reminded that this is just a game, and that I am so fortunate to be healthy, happy, and able to watch it with people I love.

Seattle’s arrow is still pointed up— maybe not as steeply as it was a month ago— but the team is young, fun, hungry, and brimming with potential. The postseason got a little further away today, but it’s very much still in play and the outlook for the ‘Hawks for the next few years is so much rosier than I would’ve imagined as recently as September.

I feel incredibly lucky to watch these guys play, and to have the opportunity to write about it for such a remarkable fanbase. I appreciate you guys so much and the fact that anyone reads this each week still blows me away. I’m grateful for y’all and I can’t wait to watch this team rise with you. Onward and upward. We love you Carmen.

—

Lit up one of the fanciest cigars I’ve ever had tonight. The Year of the Rabbit from Davidoff is very difficult to come by and I’m extremely grateful to the guys at Seattle Cigar Concierge for providing the rare opportunity to get my hands on some. Delicious stogie, it burns forever, holds its ash to the knuckle, and never pulls hot. Super enjoyable experience!

This is the 4th year of our incredible partnership with Seattle Cigar Concierge. They have the plug on some of the most insane stogies on the market and they’re offering them to Cigar Thoughts readers for 20% off. These are extremely special sticks, and among the most enjoyable I’ve ever smoked. To get the hook-up, just email SeattleCigarConcierge@GMail.com. They are carrying over 70 cigar brands with many rare releases, including Davidoff, Opus X, and Padron. You can also hit them up on Twitter: @SeattleCigars. Just be sure to mention that you’re a Cigar Thoughts reader. Many of you have taken advantage of this incredible opportunity and for those who have always wondered what elite cigars are like, this may the best chance you’ll get to step into that world.

The 2022 season of Cigar Thoughts is also proud to be sponsored by Fairhaven Floors and Brandon Nelson Partners in Bellingham, WA.

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The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers play on Sunday in an NFL Week 2 game.

The 49ers are an 8.5-point favorite, according to Tipico Sportsbook.

San Francisco is -420 on the moneyline in the game, which will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

The Seahawks are +330.

The over/under for the game is set at 41.5 points.

More:NFL Week 2 odds: Point spreads, moneylines, over/under for Week 2 NFL schedule games

The 49ers lost to the Chicago Bears in their first game of the season, 19-10.

The Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos in Week 1, 17-16.

The Seahawks won both games these two played last season, taking a Week 4 contest on the road, 28-21 and winning a Week 13 game at home, 30-23.

NFL Week 2 picks, predictions:

The NFL Week 2 game is scheduled to kick off at 1:05 pm MST Sunday and can be seen on Fox.

More:NFL Week 2 schedule, television information: How to watch Week 2 NFL games

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problems? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).

More:NFL power rankings Week 2: Cardinals, Bengals, Patriots, Packers plummet after Week 1 losses

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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the San Francisco 49ers (6-5) face it Seattle Seahawks (3-8) at Lumen Field for Week 13 of the NFL. Let’s take a look at the betting lines for Sunday’s matchup. The 49ers started the week as a 3.0 point favorite, but the spread has since increased to 3.5, leaving the 49ers at -169 and Seahawks at +150. The total dotted line is set to 46.5, with OVER at -110 and UNDER at -110.

• These teams share a 5-6-0 ATS record this season.

• The 49ers have a 6-5-0 O / U record this season (meaning six games exceeded total points and five went under). The Seahawks have a 1-10-0 O / U record.

Points on the blackboard

• The 49ers have an average of 25.5 points per game this season (11th place in the league). In comparison, the Seahawks averaged just 19.0 (25th).

• Defensively, the 49ers forego 22.5 points per game this season (11th in the league), while the Seahawks give up an average of 20.5 points (T6.).

Moving the chains

• With an average of 365.1, the 49ers rank 12th in the league for total yards per game. In comparison, the Seahawks rank 31st with just 295.7 yards per game.

• In terms of yards allowed, the 49ers give up 318.7 per game (6th in the league) this season, beating the Seahawks, who averaged 399.0 (32nd)

Rise in the air

• The 49ers have scored 234.2 yards per game this season (16th in the league). By comparison, the Seahawks defense has given up 274.1 yards per game (31st).

• Meanwhile, the Seahawks have posted 203.2 pass yards per game (26th in the league) this season, while the 49ers defense have given up 207.3 pass yards per game (6th).

Advantage on the ground

• In terms of ground play, the 49ers have recorded 130.9 yards per game this season (6th in the league). Conversely, the Seahawks give up 124.9 yards per game (T23rd).

• On the flip side, the Seahawks have recorded 92.5 rushing yards per game (25th in the league) this season, while the 49ers forego 111.5 rushing yards per game (14th).

Protect ball

• Given their ability to force sales, the 49ers have posted a total of 11 takeaways this season (T25th in the league) while the Seahawks have posted 10 (T28th).

• On the offensive, the 49ers have recorded a total of 15 giveaways this season (T15 in the league) while the Seahawks have taken better care of the ball, recording 7 (1st).

The first goalscorer

The 49ers are -130 to score first while the Seahawks are +100.

• The 49ers and Seahawks have each scored the first goals in five of their eleven games this season.

Which team will get the first touchdown?

• The 49ers have scored first touchdowns in six of their eleven games this season.

• The Seahawks have scored the first touchdown in seven of their eleven games this season.

First scoring game

San Francisco Touchdown 4/11 +175

San Francisco Field Goal 1/11 +350

San Francisco Security 0/11 +9000

Seattle Touchdown 4/11 +270

Seattle Field Goal 1/11 +320

Seattle Security 0/11 +8000

Which team has a quick start?

The 49ers are -150 and the first team to score 10 points while the Seahawks score +120.

• The 49ers and Seahawks were the first to score 10 points each in five of their eleven games that season.

Money line for the first quarter

The 49ers are preferred in the first quarter moneyline market, currently at -145, while the Seahawks are +125.

• The 49ers have a 5-4-2 W / L / T record in the first quarter this season while the Seahawks hold a record of 5-2-4.

The last time they met

The Seahawks scored a 28-21 win over the 49ers at Levi’s when those teams last clashed in Week 4, 2021. Although Deebo Samuel was on the wrong side on this result, he was a dominant force and ended up with 156 yards and 2 touchdowns.

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When Russell Wilson and the Seahawks defeated Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers at Levis Stadium 28:21 in Week 4, the two rivals seemed to be going in opposite directions and the road team aggressively found their move to post halftime for 21 points explode .

But since then the script has been turned upside down. After a tough loss to an understaffed Arizona squad in Week 9, San Francisco climbed to sixth place in the NFC thanks to a three-game winning streak, while Seattle fell to the bottom of the league, losing six of the last seven competitions and eliminating them almost got out of the playoff competition.

What has changed for the 49ers since the first match? Over the past three weeks, coach Kyle Shanahan’s side has aggressively returned to their bread and butter, relying on rookie running back Elijah Mitchell and Swiss Army Knife Deebo Samuel to storm nearly 175 yards per game. With the ground play to compliment him, Garoppolo was extremely efficient under the middle, getting a pass rating of 117.0 while completing 71 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and one interception.

“They play the ball a lot more than they have and, especially in the last three weeks, as much as anyone else in football,” said Seahawks coach Pete Carroll on Wednesday. “They’ve found tremendous success at that. They’re a good perimeter team, they’re basically a zone running team, but with their dedication, they have man-block schemes, gap-block schemes, and they go along with a variety of things.” their perimeter people too, so they’re really committed. “

Meanwhile, San Francisco has given up 15 points per game defensively as it defeated the Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville and Minnesota in consecutive weeks. Victory in the sales battle was critical to that success as the team intercepted three passes and won back a trio of fumbles and had a plus-five advantage in sales margin.

As the two bitter rivals prepare to meet again at Lumen Field, here’s a closer look at the Seahawks’ upcoming Week 13 opponent, including series history, additions / departures, key metrics, and Carroll’s rating of the 49ers.

Series history

46th meeting of the season. The Seahawks have dominated the series, winning 28 of the previous 45 regular season matchups while beating the 49ers in the 2013 NFC Championship Game.

Since that playoff game seven years ago, Seattle has won 13 of the last 15 games between the two rivals, including last season’s streak of home and away wins against San Francisco. The 49ers’ last win in the series came in December 2019 when they defeated the Seahawks at Lumen Field 26-21, keeping tight end Jacob Hollister out of the end zone in the final seconds to claim an NFC West title. San Francisco’s longest streak in the series was four games from 2010 to 2012, while Seattle won 10 straight from 2014 to 2018.

What’s new

Departures: San Francisco’s biggest loss came to the coaching staff when announced defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was hired as the new head coach of the New York Jets, taking on several assistants. Defensively, the team underwent significant changes in secondary school, allowing seasoned cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Akhello Witherspoon to go free. Along the defensive line, former first-round pick Solomon Thomas moved to the Raiders, while Kerry Hyder moved teams within the division to sign with the Seahawks. On the offensive, receiver Michael Bourne raced to New England and running back Tevin Coleman followed Saleh to New York.

additions: The 49ers’ biggest splash came weeks before draft weekend, when General Manager John Lynch packed up several first rounds to trade with the Dolphins in third place overall. While speculation raged about the team’s interest in Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, they instead selected Trey Lance, the South Dakota state star quarterback, as a possible heir to Garoppolo. San Francisco upgraded the inside of its offensive line to protect anyone below the center and signed Pro Bowl center Alex Mack. To replace Sherman and Witherspoon, former all-pro Josh Norman was signed before the start of the regular season, while former Rams linebacker Samson Ebukam has signed a two-year deal. Before the trading deadline, the team acquired the defensive end Charles Omenihu from the Texans for a sixth round draft in 2023.

Injury report

While San Francisco has plenty of momentum on its side en route to Seattle, the team will forego several key players in Sunday’s rematch. Top receiver Deebo Samuel, who has already overshadowed 1,000 yards this year, was dismissed with a groin injury, while all-pro linebacker Fred Warner was listed as doubtful playing with an Achilles tendon strain. Another key linebacker, Dre Greenlaw, won’t play on Sunday with his own groin problem either.

Within the scheme

With Kyle Juszczyk one of the few remaining real full-backs in the NFL, the 49ers deployed more double-back staffing than any other team in the NFL, and that trend has continued in 2021. So far, they have 21 and 22 employees used 43 percent of their offensive snapshots, second only to the Ravens. While a large part of the league mainly uses 11 employees, the 49ers with these groups only occupy 45 percent of their offensive games in 26th place.

Hailing from his father Mike Shanahan’s coaching tree, Kyle Shanahan still invokes more than any other running concept outside of the zone. But during his four seasons at the top he slowly mixed in more strength and counterattack concepts to further diversify the hectic attack. In fact, they ranked in the top 10 for performance and counter-run rate in 2020 according to Pro Football Focus, and the Seahawks should expect a steady dose of both in this upcoming rematch.

With Saleh in the lead, the 49ers heavily preferred Cover 3 and Quarters Coverage looks out of their base defense on early downs and didn’t flash much in those situations. But in obvious passing situations when they were playing nickel or dime packages, they put in more cover 1 looks with man underneath and were also much more aggressive with the lightning, putting five or more defenders on the third highest rate after the quarterback third place sent. They ended up in the EPA’s top 10 on all downs.

In 11 games under Demeco Ryans, who replaced Saleh, the 49ers haven’t changed much in terms of coverage systems. They still use cover-3 single highs (39.9 percent) and quarters (19.8 percent) mostly on early downs, and remain one of the least aggressive blitz teams as they only have 21.5 percent of their additional defenders Snaps per Pro Football have sent reference. Unlike in the last two years, however, they could not generate such constant pressure with four man storms and, according to PFF, have the second least total pressure in the league.

In numbers

31.6: 49ers points per game since week 10, third best in the NFL

3.84: Yards after contact per rush by rookie Elijah Mitchell, second best among the qualified runners

530: Yards of contact from Deebo Samuel, third most popular among NFL receivers

38.3: Third down conversion rate, 20th among NFL teams

6th: Sacks allowed percentage on the offensive line of the 49ers, 19th in the league.

10.4: Yards allowed per reception, ninth lowest in the league

2.96: Yards after contact by opposing runners, 27th in the NFL

1.36: Passing touchdowns per game allowed, tied for the seventh-fewest in the league

62: Touchdown percentage in the red zone for opponents, 19th in the league

100: Quarterback pressure, the second least among 32 NFL teams

Carroll’s thoughts

–On the advent of rookie running back Elijah Mitchell: “Well, they were really effective. The signing to the Rams a couple of weeks ago was really obvious that they are really looking for the running game, they are making great strides in the past three weeks, they are getting more yards every week and he was right in the middle of it. It’s tough and has really good speed. Everyone who runs for them looks great and that’s because they have a real commitment to it. They show and run the ball a lot and he is currently the leading ball carrier. “

– On Nick Bosa’s return to form in his third NFL season: “He’s as active as ever. You move him around more. You play him on the other side. We saw him a little above the center. You’re really trying to position it effectively. He’s a really good player and has a great engine. His power to fortify things he has, he just adds it to his rushs, along with the speed, makes him really very difficult. We have to take care of him. We have to make sure we know where he is and include him in our protective recordings. “

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Aiming for a fourth straight win, Elijah Mitchell and the 49ers aim to improve their playoff position when they take on the slithering Seahawks in Seattle

Two rivals to NFC West kick off their December schedule on Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks clash at Lumen Field in Seattle. These two teams met at Levi’s Stadium in Week 4, and the Seahawks won that game by a score of 28:21. That game was supposed to be on Sunday Night Football, but due to the Seattle Free Fall, the NFL has postponed it until late afternoon.

San Francisco (6-5) continued its playoff upswing with a 34-26 win over Minnesota last Sunday in style. The offense showed a great balance with 215 yards and 208 on the ground. Elijah Mitchell led the 49ers’ complex rushing attack with 133 yards, 27 carries and one touchdown. Debo Samuel scored two dazzling touchdowns running 66 yards that day. The possession time made a big difference, as the offense held on to football for over 37 minutes, which really paid off in the third quarter. Azeez Al-Shaair led the defense with eight tackles and one interception. San Francisco did a great job against the run as well, limiting the Vikings to just 67 yards. Minnesota only went 8-2 down to third, which helped the 49ers defense stay fresh for the entire game.

Seattle (3-8), on the other hand, likely saw its faint hopes of ending the playoffs with a 17:15 road loss to Washington on Monday night. Normally, in a close game, you would expect the stats to reflect an evenly played competition. However, this matchup was not as close as the end result suggested. Washington had 26 first downs and sustained football for more than 40 minutes, playing 79 games that night. Russell Wilson showed some signs of improvement, making 20 of 31 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns, but those numbers are also misleading as the offense never posed a threat to take control of the game. The offensive line failed to produce a consistent running game as the Seahawks managed 34 yards on 12 tries, which is not good enough.

Although the Seahawks had the option to level the game late with a two-point conversion, they failed to convert and extended their losing streak to three games. The Seahawks now find themselves with the second worst record in NFC.

San Francisco (6-5) in Seattle (3-8)

Kicking off: Sunday, December 5 at 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Spread: 49er -3.5

Three things to see

1. Attack by the 49ers
Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive schedule should be the most stress-free of the season as it doesn’t have to be very complicated. Mitchell can set the tone while the game is in progress by heading for another 100-yard game on Sunday. Jimmy Garoppolo will benefit from an effective run attack as he can get the ball to George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk in the passing game. Samuel is a critical part of this offensive but will miss Sunday’s game with a groin injury. This will take away some of the creative aspects of this attack. But with Seattle struggling (giving up a total of 371 yards to Washington, 152 of them on the ground), San Francisco is unlikely to be too badly affected by Samuel’s absence. In the end, the mission for this offensive is simple: play clean football out on goal, and it should result in a fairly stress-free win.

2. The Seahawks’ broken offensive
At this point in the season, there is nothing to lose for anyone involved in this offensive before the final six games. The current offensive approach is more than broken, as shown by the team’s only 10 first defeats in their loss to Washington. To put the disastrous performance even further in context, the Seahawks only delivered three more first downs than the NHL’s Seattle Kraken scored in goals in a 7-4 win over the Buffalo Sabers that same night. The Pacific Northwest NFL team has also scored a total of three touchdowns in their last 31 ball possession, which is overwhelming that this offensive team rivals the 1992 team because of their ineptitude. DK Metcalf got his first reception late in the fourth quarter on the last trip. The lack of targets for Metcalf is the misconduct of the coach and quarterback of Wilson and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

Now the overarching question is how to fix it from Sunday onwards. First you need to add more pace and force Wilson to throw easy passes at Tyler Lockett, Metcalf, and the tight ends. The whole deep passing game has to be put on hold until Wilson proves he can regain his accuracy. On top of that, you have to imagine the toll the loss of Trevor Moawad, Wilson’s mental coach who passed away earlier this season, took. It appears to have had an impact on his game as he misses readings like the unsuccessful two-point conversion where he opened Metcalf for a seemingly easy close in the back of the end zone that would have tied the game late.

3. Defense of the 49ers
Patience is the name of the game this week as San Francisco doesn’t need to be complicated against a battered offensive in Seattle. The 49ers must fire up Wilson on the defensive front to get their offensive behind the sticks. That should be happening lately given the Seahawks’ offense and Nick Bosa’s good performance (four sacks in the last three games). If San Francisco can exert constant pressure, it will ease the side issue in its efforts to contain Lockett and Metcalf.

Seattle is so desperate for running back performance that the team has signed 36-year-old Adrian Peterson to the training roster. Don’t be surprised if he is added to the active list by or on Sunday. So if you’re the 49ers, you might as well dare the Seahawks to play the ball. Putting Seattle into an early hole will likely force Waldron to give up again, giving Bosa and Co. more pass-rushing opportunities.

Final analysis

San Francisco has its fate in its hand and currently holds the sixth seed in the NFC franchise. The 49ers definitely can’t afford to miss this chance against a downtrodden Seattle team. The Seahawks have likely resigned themselves to their fate of missing out on the postseason, but additional losses won’t help their draft positioning either (if you like the tank idea) as the Jets own their first round selection next year, courtesy of the trade of Jamal Adams. Seattle still has a lot of pride and this is a division game, a rivalry, so don’t expect Pete Carroll’s team to just flip. But San Francisco will have yet another victory, as even without Samuel, the 49ers have too much offensive firepower to shut down this battered Seahawks defense for four quarters.

Prediction: 49ers 20, Seahawks 10

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This would not have been expected at the beginning of the season.

Things are changing, however, and flexing gives the NFL the option to postpone a game from the Sunday Night Football slot, and that is what the league does on December 5th for NBC.

The league has postponed the Seattle Seahawks game against the San Francisco 49ers to kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET.

In the evening, the Kansas City Chiefs will visit the Denver Broncos.

The Chiefs won four straight wins in week 12, which will be after their week of bye.

The Broncos are 5-5 and will play against the Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday.

The NFL switched Chiefs-Broncos to Sunday Night Football in week 13.

Seahawks-49ers transition to 4:25 p.m. ET.

– Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 23, 2021

For those who love star quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes was granted while you lost to Russell Wilson.

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The Seahawks defense played a real defense on Sunday. Her performance in the 28-21 win over the 49ers was a welcome reassurance and acted as a tonic for the agony caused by the week 3 defensive horror show. Seattle’s defense in week 4 survived a shaky opening move and a lack of complementary football from a stagnant offense, run to get off the field.

Defensive bankruptcy was therefore an anomaly and not the rule, as had been mistakes the previous week. The current flaw is important, but the reporting flaw points to the challenges a newbie to the defense poses rather than a deeper, more problematic subject. Sidney Jones, acquired by the Jaguars late in the off-season in exchange for a round six pick, got his first start as a left cornerback. Jones screwed it up on the bust.

“Sidney had a challenging day, you know, he had a challenging day,” head coach Pete Carroll told 710 ESPN Seattle during his weekly visit to host Mike Salk. “He had a few games that he missed but overall he did a good job, played the scheme well, with the exception of the one big touchdown.”

The “one big touchdown” scheme was cover-3 pass defense. Jones, for the slot, the multi-receiver look, should have immediately gone into a “zebra” mindset, adjusting his depths 1/3 to play more like a pure zone, targeting the middle of the two incoming threats looked and 60-40 to. the recipient no. 2 played.

Whether or not Jones had those “zebra” intentions before the snap, his expectation in defense of Cover 3 seemed to be that the flat full-back beneath the space defender – what Seattle calls a “buzz” technique – would be responsible for taking the bike route from receiver # 2 up and through its zone and adjust it in the field. This would then release the deep 1/3 cornerback at the back without having to worry about receiver # 2, in order to then push receiver # 1 more aggressively.

Strong Security Jamal Adams was the buzz defender in this game. However, he stopped seeing the # 2 receiver, Deebo Samuel, as soon as he expanded, and instead walked off the bike route with the utmost confidence while maintaining the quarterback view. After the play, Adams was frustrated that Jones didn’t switch to Samuel.

Jones probably defaulted to the general Cover 3 rules and didn’t register the full picture of the game. Meanwhile, Adams likely didn’t check with Jones to make sure he was aware of the task, assuming Jones was tied to the game plan.

“I think just feeling how everything is moving and your teammates, and all the little details and the communication,” said Jones in his post-game press conference about the biggest challenge joining a new team. “It’s one thing to have a playbook, it’s another thing to go with other people, 11 other men – 10 other men – and do everything together.”

After the win, the Free Security Quandre Diggs refused to assign individual blame to the game.

“You must think I’m a snitch,” joked Diggs.

Diggs took individual responsibility for the play, however, as he stood on the sidelines and left Marquise Blair in free safety. “Communication” was mentioned again.

“I feel like if I was there the communication would have been a little better,” said Diggs. “I’m not saying they didn’t, but it’s my job to lead back there and I wasn’t out there so I bet that on myself.”

Repeated communication, to the point of exaggeration, is key to avoiding basic service outages. When asked about working with Jones on defense, Diggs reiterated his emphasis on communication.

“I think for us it’s just further communication with [Jones]So when we get into the heat of the moment, he knows exactly what he’s doing and we can’t get him into the positions he doesn’t, ”read the free post-game safety message. “So, I think over time we’ll get better communication and I think he’ll play a lot better and I’m happy to have him, you know?”

So why shouldn’t Seattle have Adams wear the bike route in this game, an “indicator” they use in their defense to match the route with that defender? In answering this question lies the real evidence of Jones’s mistake.

“That depends on the situation and the reputation,” Carroll replied on Monday when asked if the curl flat defender should run a bike route. “We have different ways of doing that. And you know, some teams may always do it the same way, we don’t. We have a couple of different ways it comes out. Depends on how we manage the zoning approach. There are different things we do. Sometimes we can do it and sometimes we don’t, it depends. “

The situation of the 49ers was remarkable. They lined up in a paired tight-end nub 2×2 look with 21 employees who quickly switched them to a weak gun-offset formation – a two-back look that put full-back Kyle Juszczyk alongside Adams .

“I think the way the defense works, everything works together,” said Jones after the bankruptcy. “We have to go into the movie room and find out, and I have to do a better part of my job to see the formation and the game and to clean that up.”

The cornerback clearly ignored the impact of the 49ers’ formation or staff. That meant he had to play all-zebra 1/3, midpoint technique and received no help with the bike route from Adams.

“You know, we knew what quarterback Lance was and we knew what Jimmy was,” Adams said afterwards. “We were prepared for both.”

Seattle’s game plan and defense adapted well to the varying style of attack of 49ers rookie quarterback Trey Lance, where Lance’s mobility is an important factor in the running game.

“When they made the move, of course, we wanted to feel what they were doing, and obviously they started reading a lot of Zone and playing two-defenders as well,” Adams continued. “So it was obviously another attack.”

Adams’ mention of “Two-Back” applies here. With Juszczyk at his side, there was an additional gap that had to be taken into account.

And while Diggs refused to whistle on a teammate, his response to playing Lance revealed an illuminating detail.

“I mean, we talked about it during the week,” Diggs revealed, revealing the planning for Lance. “Our coaches have prepared us well and it’s up to me, Bobby [Wagner], Jamal, ‘Big Al’ [Woods] and Poona [Ford] Just to pass it on through the rest of the defense and let the guys know we’ll have some other seizures when he comes in and more of a college style offensive when he comes in. “

The “different fits” are also relevant for the bust. Using lance in the running game as a runner creates another additional void that defense must take into account. Meanwhile, the 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will be adding routes to the running games to create more space. If Adams had voted the bike route against this formation and Lance in a running game, there would have been no player for Lance.

Given Lance’s threat as a scrambler, it makes even more sense that the Seahawks didn’t want their lower layers to look away from the quarterback – especially on the edge of their defense.

You can see pre-snap that Adams, in deep security, checked with Blair to warn him that he would not match a bike route from the # 2 receiver. With the free security role of stopping seam and mail routes, Blair only faced a seam route threat to the 2×1 receiver distribution. Hence, he was able to shift his focus to that side of the field and free Adams and Jones to play purer zone principles.

Adams checked with Diggs against a similar two-backed look. In this piece, you can see Adams gesturing with his hand before snapping to make sure Diggs was aware of the threat of lonely seam and Adams’ technique. With Seattle in their sub-zone X family, Jordyn Brooks stacked the C-gap and Wagner the A-gap – which once again meant that Adams was in high demand as a reliable, present plus-one defender in run-fit.

In contrast to this two-back pistol formation, Adams tried to maintain the inner leverage of the No. 2 receiver and play in running fit.

Finally, here is a situation where Adams stepped in on defense under zone x due to the 22-person pair of offense.

In the past, when in that kind of cover-3 rotation to a slot-two-back formation, Seattle has checked “Mix” (two-read pass coverage with three defensive defenders) to keep the strong security inside Keep your run still in good shape Get three defenders over the two threats while protecting yourself against the No. 2 recipient bubble.

The strong security plays with the internal leverage of the slot receiver. The cornerback probes and mirrors the slot receiver and skips the route if it is outside within two meters. And the free security keys match the slot receiver, match its clearance and move to cover the outer receiver when the slot is outside within the five yard mark.

Back to the coverage bust, Jones’ mistake should be fixed quickly.

“It’s just first time out stuff,” Carroll agreed on Monday.

The Seahawks defense should pay attention to Diggs and Jones’ comments, however. Frequent and effective communication is essential to a solid defense, and this is especially true of a new face on the line-up.

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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.

Prediction: 49ers 31, Seahawks 20

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