“Sherman’s Way”

NFC Game Of The Week 

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers

Seahawks: In a competitive NFC, they are 7-2. Lucky to have that record right now to be honest with you. There are times when I have no idea what Seattle team will show up. A perfect example of this is their game last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Let’s just be realistic here for a second: Tampa Bay isn’t that good of a football team, but the Seahawks allowed them to stay in the game and needed overtime to put them away. When I look at the Seattle Seahawks, their offense is fun to watch. It’s tremendous how much Russell Wilson has grown into an NFL quarterback. When he first came into the league, he had a strong defense to lean on along with a consistent running game. This year, he’s the front-runner to win league MVP and rightfully deserving of it. He’s the leader of this entire team. I’d even go as far as to say he’s the heart and soul. They go as far as he takes them. We always talk about quarterbacks you’d want to have the ball in their hands with the game on the line. The obvious answers always come out which is Brady, Brees and Rodgers of course. You may need to put Russ in that conversation as well. Anytime you need a score for the game, he’ll put you in the best position to win. I have no worries about their offense now. Especially since the team decided to claim Josh Gordon off the waiver wire to give their quarterback a veteran weapon. You know what’s amazing about this game? How one part of your team can be your strength then now, it’s the weakness. Their secondary at one point was the best in the business. Now, they’re extremely vulnerable in the backend. I’ve noticed it all year, especially on Sunday against the Bucs. To stay in the race for the division, they’ll face the final undefeated team in the league on Monday night.

49ers: I really like what I saw from them in their last two games. When they faced the Carolina Panthers, they completely dominated the football game from start to finish. They held a good offense to 13 points and their defense showed why they’ve been one of the best units in the league in that game with the favorite to win defensive rookie of the year in Nick Bosa. Last week against the Arizona Cardinals, I called that a trap game which most divisional tilts are because you know each other so well and you’ll get everything you can handle from them which they did. I’ve said this all year long in a few previews and on twitter. When you know you have a big game upcoming on your schedule, stay focused on what’s in front of you now. The big game after that isn’t going anywhere. It’ll still be there whether you win or lose. I was happy to see the 49ers get a challenge because they haven’t really been tested if you think about it. Kyler Murray gave the 49ers defense that test. He ran all over them. This is where mental toughness comes into the picture. The 49ers were able to display that to grind out the victory to improve to 8-0, their best start since 1990. They have talent on the offensive side starting with their running backs, Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman who are threats to have a big game on any given week. Jimmy Garoppolo finished that game completing 28 of his 37 pass attempts with four touchdown passes and no interceptions. They are at the top of the NFC right now, the competitive NFC at that. Monday night will be a big one for them with a divisional rival coming to town.

Seahawks Player to Watch: Chris Carson– The 49ers defense really struggled to stop the run last week. If I’m Seattle, I’m studying the game film from their last game seeing what I can do. Football is a game of trying to expose a team. When the Seahawks have their running game going, they’re almost impossible to beat. If Chris carries the football at least 20 times, they will have a good shot at winning this game.

49ers Player to Watch: Emmanuel Sanders– This is why you acquired him. For big games like this. He’s a veteran that’s played in big games and he’s serving as a mentor to the younger receivers on this team. When they traded for him, he immediately became that number one option for Jimmy. Last week, he led all receivers with seven receptions. 112 yards and a touchdown. He’s been paying dividends early.

Final Analysis: At one time, this was one of the best rivalries in the NFL. How could we forget the epic NFC championship game in 2014? Richard Sherman makes the final stop of the game, then goes on a rant that became memorable. All these years later, he’s playing for the 49ers. The biggest key for the 49ers is their run defense playing much better. If Kyler ran all over them, what do you think Russell Wilson is going to do? The Seahawks come into this game ranked eighth in rushing averaging 132 yards per game. Keeping Russell contained is a major priority for San Fran. Shutting down the Seahawks receivers will be a tough task for the Niners secondary. D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett have become a nice duo for Wilson, now you add Josh Gordon into the fold. Seattle’s secondary will be tested in this one. This could be one of the best games we’ve had in the NFC this year.

Prediction: Seahawks 31 49ers 28