The San Francisco 49ers come to Lumen Field for a week 13 NFC West showdown with their longtime division rival Seattle Seahawks. Three straight wins, including a 34-26 win over Minnesota on Sunday, have the Niners at 6-5 and back in the playoff hunt. Meanwhile, a MNF loss to Washington, 17-15, dropped Seattle to 3-8, with 6 losses in their last 7 games. In week 4, Seattle was able to move to 2-2 with a 28-21 win over the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Garoppolo was injured and after a slow start, we saw some of the best play of the season from Russell Wilson to earn the win. A lot has changed since then,
Can San Fran Exact Revenge?
What Seattle depended on the first time around might not be at play on Sunday. The version of Russell Wilson we saw that week has not been seen since, with a string of inept showings since coming off IR with a broken finger. Seattle started the last game against the Niners with five straight three-and-outs before getting it together, but can they snap out of it this time? The run-game is in the dumps and Wilson has struggled making meaningful connections with Tyler Lockett and especially DK Metcalf. At the same time, some of San Fran’s weaponry might be compromised, with Deebo Samuel out with a groin injury.
Drastic Current Form Concerns
Seattle is in the dumps, having come up with 30 mere points of total scoring in their last 4 games. We’re in week 13 and this last week 4 meeting with San Fran was the last time Wilson tasted victory. On the other sideline is a San Francisco team that has held up to even more-trying adversity in the form of injuries. They are getting good quarterback play, are able to forge a meaningful run-game with the increasingly-productive Eli Mitchell, and are able to get consistent output from aerial targets like Deebo, George Kittle, and the more-involved Brandon Aiyuk.
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In Defense of Seattle
Attempting to sugar-coat their failings this season may be futile. At home in a division context, though, maybe there is some hope. One shouldn’t expect Wilson and the Seahawks to just stink perennially, nor should we project that the rest of the season will be a straight upward ascent for the 49ers. One potentially-hidden part of this equation could be Seattle’s defense. A maligned group, they have allowed a combined 77 points in their last five games. While being 1-4 in that stretch speaks to their offensive futility, that resistance in light of so little offensive support says they’re at least not completely collapsing in the midst of all these losses.
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Being Realistic
Seattle is getting very little from their run-game behind an offensive line that has again sunk to low depths. Along with an aerial game that is yielding almost-shockingly low amounts of production, it’s not easy to be optimistic. One can rightfully attribute it to injuries and namely how Seattle just isn’t the same without Wilson or with a compromised version. But some seasons, a team will underperform amidst a hail of organizational failure where no one from the players to the coaches are doing a particularly great job. And that might not be a funk Seattle can climb from on the short week against a streaking San Fran team with a revenge angle, now even more pumped-up with the chance to create more momentum this week.
Despite having chunks missing from injuries, the 49ers’ defense has seen a big surge in recent weeks—allowing a combined 36 points to the high-powered duo of the Rams and Vikings, sandwiching a dominant showing against the Jaguars. The disruptive SF front, led by Nick Bosa, could be tough on this Seattle offensive line. Even if one forecasts a dip in the 49ers’ production this week amidst Samuel being out and the recent pluck shown on “D” by Seattle, this seems like an odd spot for the surging 49ers’ defense to potentially regress.
