The Seahawks are coming off of one of the most joyous wins in recent franchise history, as they disposed of the national darling Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. They have an opportunity to start what most expect to be a moribund season in explosive fashion when they head to the Bay Area for a week two game against the rival 49ers.
San Francisco lost an ugly game against a team that might end up being among the five worst in the league in Chicago. The field was a mess, and the late-game conditions were unplayable. Do not let that fool you. The Bears played on the same field, with far less talent, and managed to dominate the second half. Young quarterback Trey Lance was not the primary reason for the loss, but he certainly did very little to avoid defeat. He turned the ball over, missed open receivers, and misread plays.
Opening the season 0-2, with losses to the awful Bears and the Geno Smith-led Seahawks would send shockwaves through the 49er organization and fanbase. There are already fault lines that formed as Jimmy Garoppolo restructured his deal to stick around the area. I think Lance has a show to bounce back this week, but if he doesn’t…the home crowd is going to be restless. If he really struggles, “Jimmy!” chants could start and set in motion a threat to that locker room and front office. Wouldn’t that be fun?
Seattle played a splendid first half on offense and a splendid second half on defense in their win. The run game struggled. It will be tough for the Seahawks to win this game without a productive afternoon for Rashaad Penny. Keep an eye on rookie safety Talanoa Hufanga. He was terrific in week one, and has the look of a star in the making. He showed up in the run and pass game.
The biggest issue for Seattle will come in the 49ers run game. Denver exposed the edges when running the football. Kyle Shanahan operates one of the most creative and explosive edge running attacks in the league. A variety of players and blocking schemes come in waves at opponents behind a quality offensive line, which is even better when George Kittle is in the lineup. That mismatch is what has me leaning toward the 49ers in this one.
Should Lance become an even greater liability, that dream of a 2-0 start and an internet full of 49ers fans burning their jerseys is absolutely possible.
The way this works: Each offense will be pitted against the opposing defense and compared on an array of key statistical attributes based on their respective rank in the NFL. The tables that follow show the rank of each unit for each of these categories.
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Seahawks Offense vs 49ers Defense
49ers key advantages on defense
Nick Bosa is a beast. He will be one of the toughest test for Charles Cross in his rookie season. Bosa has the potential to take this game over. Arik Armstead has been less of a factor of late, but is still a physical specimen. Fred Warner has fallen off his All-Pro level, but is fast and a great tackler.
Hufanga really got my attention in week one. He flies around the field, makes great reads, and is a terrific tackler. He looks talented and instinctual.
Seahawks key advantages on offense
The 49ers do not have great corners. Emmanuel Moseley and Charvarius Ward play outside. Rookie Samuel Womack play inside. Tyler Lockett could be a big part of the game plan, as could DK Metcalf. I think Warner and Hufanga make life tougher on the tight ends, so the receivers should be more involved in this one.
I am curious about the 49ers run defense as well. Denver did a terrific job jamming up the cutback lanes, and Penny still broke a few long runs. Kenneth Walker is due back this week. The two backs need to be great in this one to give the offense a chance to score points.
49ers Offense vs Seahawks Defense
49ers key advantages on offense
It was hard to really assess the 49ers offense in those field conditions as footing was not great throughout. Deebo Samuel is one of the best and most dynamic players in the sport. Brandon Aiyuk is a super talented receiver and runner. Kittle does everything well, but may not play in this game due to injury.
The offensive line has better tackles than the Broncos, and the Denver line did a pretty good job blocking the Seahawks. I have a feeling the Seattle game plan was not to get upfield in the pass rush due to concern about Russell Wilson scrambling and creating big plays. It’s unclear if they will let the dogs loose in this one or similarly try to keep Lance in the pocket.
Whoever is matched up against Justin Coleman will cause trouble. Screen plays will also be a major issue as there are problems with linebackers and Coleman in tackling.
Seahawks key advantages on defense
The Seahawks corners are largely unknown, which is a good thing. They have the chance to take the ball off Lance and change the face of this game.
Shelby Harris, Quinton Jefferson and crew should be able to get some push up the middle, which could cause issues for the passing game and the horizontal run game. Quandre Diggs feasts on bad quarterbacks. He is a threat to pick off a few.
Special Teams
Michael Dickson did not get many chances, but took full advantage in his first game of the year, and Jason Myers actually made all his kicks. The kick coverage teams were great for Seattle. Any sort of special teams advantage for the Seahawks would be big.
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