NFC Game Of The Week
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
49ers: Now, I did expect them to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend. There was no denying that because one, at this moment, they’re better than the Buccaneers and two, they’re just playing with a ton of positive momentum as we speak. With that being said, I didn’t expect them to beat Tampa in the manner they did and looking back at the highlights, I was impressed. I knew that defense would be too much for Tom Brady and that inconsistent Tampa Bay offense. They showed once again why they are the number one ranked defense in the league and they continue to climb that ladder as a defense each week which is scary because defense can travel. It doesn’t matter about the elements or where the game is. They will get physical and make you think about attempting to move the ball up the field on them a particular way. This division has been extremely unpredictable this year. The Rams are struggling big time and who saw the Seahawks being as competitive as they’ve been? Up to now, the 49ers have been the best team in this division, and it hasn’t been close. One thing that’s hovered over them has been the injury bug. First, they lose Trey Lance early in the year, against the Dolphins a few weeks ago, Jimmy Garoppolo breaks his foot and just last week, Deebo Samuel was carted off the field, but thankfully the injury wasn’t too severe as many expected. At this moment, the 9ers are counting on Brock Purdy and the game plan is simple. Hand the football off, make a throw when the opportunity presents itself and don’t be the reason why your team loses. Tonight, they will kick week 15 off in a divisional showdown.
Seahawks: They’ve come back down to reality some as of late. In their last four games, they’ve lost three of them and the last loss was very disappointing. See what happens when you overlook a football team? It can come back and bite you and that’s exactly what happened on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. You can NOT look ahead in this business or overlook anyone because anyone in this league can be defeated. What hurt the Seahawks was the lack of depth at Running Back because both Kenneth Walker III and DeeJay Dallas were both sidelined with injuries and this year, Seattle has turned the page and reverted back to running the football, something you didn’t see much of in the last years of the Russell Wilson chapter. What also hurt the Seahawks was the inability to stop the run as they were without Al Woods and Shelby Harris. The Panthers wore them down and out rushed them, 223 yards to 46 yards. Also, Carolina controlled the clock and dominated the time of possession. They were in first place a few months back and were one of the storylines that nobody saw coming. Who could’ve imagined that Geno Smith would have seven wins at this point of the year and in a playoff race while Russell Wilson is 3-10 and eliminated from playoff contention? Tonight, they will look to get back on track and in the win column once again.
49ers X-Factor: Brandon Aiyuk– With Deebo out, Brandon will be counted upon to shoulder more responsibility. While Deebo is the 49ers best play maker, Brandon is their best pure receiver on the perimeter because he can stretch the field vertically. Brandon is fast, shifty, a great route runner and the catch radius is off the charts. He’s also that one piece that you can line up all over the football field. I sometimes feel opponents sleep on him and I often describe him as the 49ers best kept secret.
Seahawks X-Factor: Quandre Diggs– He was a steal for this Seattle defense. If you watch him closely, pay attention to the intensity he plays with. Quandre is that hit stick. He’s aggressive, quick and physical that positions himself perfectly to lodge the ball out of a receiver’s hands. Quandre loves to come downhill and he’s a true ballhawk meaning he will find his way to that football somehow and some way. He’s a smart football player and knows where to be to make a play.
Final Thoughts: This should be a fun way to open week 15 of the NFL! The games between these two are always close and hard hitting and that’s what I am expecting once again tonight. This will be Brock Purdy’s first road start and it comes at one of the toughest environments in all of football, the 12th man! Brock unfortunately was also injured but expected him to play. Don’t be shocked if Kyle Shanahan decides to go conservative early on and uses Christian McCaffrey early and often. I’m not necessarily against that because Seattle struggles to stop the running game. Also, look for Aiyuk and Kittle to get their looks as both will step up in Deebo’s absence. Can the Seahawks offense rise to the occasion tonight? This San Fran defense will present such a tough test for them. The only way they will win this game is if they throw the ball because the 9ers run defense is top in the league as they allow 75 yards rushing per game. I’m watching this Seattle Offensive Line against the San Fran Defensive Front. If the Hawks can give Geno time to throw, he will be able to connect with Metcalf and Lockett down the field. I expect the 9ers to start slowly, then fire the cannons on both sides of the ball in the second half.
Prediction: 49ers 27, Seahawks 20
