6 Bold Predictions for the San Francisco 49ers' Week 11 Matchup

A great defense needs an enforcer, someone in the secondary who makes receivers afraid to run over the middle. San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott was an enforcer.

Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner were enforcers too. They hurt people. They were the 49ers’ starting safeties when they went to the Super Bowl in 2013.

San Francisco eventually replaced Goldson and Whitner with Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea, who are not enforcers. They are coverage specialists.

Bethea is out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. His replacement, rookie safety Jaquiski Tartt, is a vicious tackler who already seems like an upgrade over Bethea.

Tartt will set the tone early against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11. And by “set the tone,” I mean, “lay somebody out.”

That’s one bold prediction. Here are five more for the 49ers’ Week 11 matchup.

Marshawn Lynch Will Not Score

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Marshawn Lynch is having a bad season.

In 2014, he ran for 13 touchdowns, averaged 4.7 yards per carry and 81.6 yards per game. This season, he has rushed for only three touchdowns, is averaging only 3.8 yards per carry and only 59.6 yards per game.

Lynch, 29, is wearing down and has nowhere to run. The Seahawks offensive line is the worst in the league.

Still, the Niners couldn’t stop him in Week 7. Lynch ran for 122 yards and one touchdown, by far his best game of the season.

The Niners didn’t practice before that Thursday game—they just walked through their assignments. Head coach Jim Tomsula didn’t want to strain his players on a short week. The Niners had no chance in that game.

But, they have a chance Sunday. They’re coming off a bye, meaning they’ve had two weeks to prepare. The Seahawks have had only one.

The Niners should be ready for Lynch. Expect them to keep him out of the end zone.

The 49ers Will Sack Russell Wilson Six Times

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Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson attempted only 24 passes when he played the 49ers in Week 7. The Niners still sacked him five times.

This Sunday, Wilson probably will have to attempt more than 24 passes, because he won’t have a running game. The 49ers defense will shut down running back Marshawn Lynch and force Wilson to carry to the Seahawks offense.

More pass attempts will result in more sacks. Seahawks right tackle Garry Gilliam can’t block 49ers outside linebacker Aaron Lynch, and Seahawks right guard J.R. Sweezy can’t block 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead.

Armstead and Lynch each will sack Wilson twice, and the Niners defense will sack Wilson a total of six times.

Quinton Patton Will Score and Lead the 49ers in Receiving

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The Seahawks used to have more than three good cornerbacks. Now, they have only one—Richard Sherman.

When Seattle played the Niners in Week 7, Sherman covered Torrey Smith the entire game no matter where Smith lined up. Smith is the 49ers’ most dangerous wide receiver, and Sherman shut him out—Smith caught no passes in that game.

Sherman probably will cover Smith again this Sunday. That means Seahawks No. 2 cornerback Cary Williams will cover third-year receiver Quinton Patton.

Patton is an emerging talent, perhaps the most reliable receiver on the Niners right now. He has chemistry with quarterback Blaine Gabbert—those two played together in the preseason when they were backups.

Expect Patton to score a touchdown and lead the Niners in catches and receiving yards Sunday.

The 49ers Offense Will Convert More Than 40 Percent of Its Third Downs

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A big reason the 49ers lost to the Seahawks in Week 7: the Niners couldn’t sustain drives. They converted just one of 11 third downs and possessed the ball for only 21 minutes and 55 seconds.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick couldn’t function when the opposing defense knew he had to pass. His third-down passer rating was 65.9 before he got benched in Week 9.

Blaine Gabbert seemed composed on third downs during his first start in Week 11. He had a great sense of when to leave the pocket, when to throw on the run and when to scramble for the first down.

As a result, the 49ers converted 43 percent of their third downs against the Atlanta Falcons.

Gabbert is a game manager, like Alex Smith—the last 49ers quarterback to beat the Seahawks in Seattle. Expect Gabbert to dink, dunk, move the chains and convert more than 40 percent of the Niners’ third downs Sunday.

The 49ers Will Beat the Seahawks

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A big reason Colin Kaepernick never beat the Seahawks in Seattle: Interceptions.

Kaepernick made four starts in Seattle, and he threw six picks. Even when he would play well up there, like during the first half of the 2014 NFC Championship Game, he’d melt down during the second half and give away the game.

For the Niners to win Sunday, they have to win with defense—that’s the strength of their team. So, the quarterback can’t try to do too much. He can’t lose the game single-handedly. He has to allow the defense to win the game.

Expect Gabbert to play safety-first football and not turn the ball over. And expect the Niners to win a low-scoring game.

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