49ers vs. Seahawks: Breaking Down San Francisco's Game Plan
The San Francisco 49ers have fallen on hard times in recent weeks, and Sunday, they will be faced with the utmost of challenges—traveling up north to take on the 9-4 Seattle Seahawks in Week 15.
For the first time in the Jim Harbaugh era, the 49ers are 10-plus-point underdogs per Odds Shark.
It's not hard to understand why.
TOP NEWS
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Colts Release Kenny Moore
Projecting Every NFL Team's Starting Lineup 🔮
Rookie WRs Who Will Outplay Their Draft Value 📈
San Francisco isn't playing well. At all. Last week's loss to the previously 1-11 Oakland Raiders might have been the lowest point of the season. Combine that with the front-office flurry that has surrounded Harbaugh, general manager Trent Baalke and CEO Jed York, and it's not hard to see how the consternation has worked its way onto the field.
And then there is the play of the offense—a unit that has averaged a mere 12.25 points over its last four contests.
The problems are many. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman's play-calling, the offensive line, quarterback Colin Kaepernick and others have all been called into question.
Add that to San Francisco's challenge of playing at CenturyLink Field—a venue where recent history has not been kind—and it's not hard to suggest this will be a recipe for disaster.
The Opponent
The Seahawks are playing about as well as any NFL team right now. Seattle is riding a three-game winning streak, including a 19-3 embarrassment of the 49ers at Levi's Stadium on Thanksgiving.
Over that stretch, Seattle has given up just 20 points and allowed a mere 507 total yards. That's an average of only 169 all-purpose yards per game.
As per usual, the Seahawks defense has emerged as the predominant force—one that is even more potent at home. Only two teams—the Arizona Cardinals a year ago and the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6—have been able to knock off the Seahawks at CenturyLink.
Seattle is No. 1 in the NFL with an average of 274.2 yards allowed per game. Its defense also ranks No. 4 against the run, and the vaunted "Legion of Boom" is ranked No. 1.
"Their defense is great," Kaepernick said via Taylor Price of 49ers.com. "They do a lot of things well, and it's always good competition out there. You have to be able to rise to those occasions."
That defense forced one of Kaepernick's worst outings of the quarterback's career when these teams last met. He threw for a meager 121 yards and two interceptions during Week 13's contest.
On offense, Seattle continues to stand by its run-first, run-heavy approach.
Running back Marshawn Lynch continues to be the driving force, having amassed 1,042 yards on the season. As a team, the Seahawks move the ball on the ground better than any other in the NFL. They currently rank No. 1 with an average of 170.1 rushing yards per game.
While their passing offense isn't exactly lethal, quarterback Russell Wilson was able to take advantage of San Francisco's defense two weeks ago. This included a 63-yard completion to tight end Tony Moeaki that led to Seattle's second score.
Wilson's passing abilities, combined with his maneuverability in and out of the pocket, create a legitimate challenge for any defense.
Offense: Getting Back to Basics
Nothing is going right for the 49ers on offense.
At no point was this further revealed than in the embarrassing 24-13 loss to the Raiders last week. Kaepernick being off target is an understatement. He completed just 151 passing yards with one touchdown against two interceptions against one of the league's worst defenses.
On top of the inaccuracy and poor decision-making, the offense lacked any sort of continuity or rhythm—an aspect that has been widespread over the course of the season.
“I don’t feel like we’re us,” running back Frank Gore said via Tyler Emerick of 49ers.com. “It’s hard to get in a rhythm. As players, you have to be in a rhythm to be successful on the field. It’s been tough all year.”
Gore averaged 5.3 yards per carry but only touched the ball 12 times against one of the poorest run defenses in the NFL.
Such statistics highlight the overall ineptitude of San Francisco's offense. The 49ers are toward the bottom in offensive statistics, and their once-reliable running game is toward the middle of the pack having not been used to the best extent.
So what can the 49ers do to correct things in short order?
There really isn't any answer, at least not one that would involve a complete shake-up from top to bottom.
But there are some fixes that can be made to give San Francisco a fighting chance.
Former 49ers tight end Brent Jones joined KNBR 680's Mr. T Show on Tuesday and stressed the need to get back to basics—focus on what the offense does well and with what it is most comfortable.
He stressed that this would be a way to restore some confidence in what appears to be a broken Kaepernick, and the approach would rely more on the offense's strengths rather than complicating things with a convoluted scheme.
But ultimately, this will fall upon Roman and Harbaugh to simplify the play-calling. It would be beneficial to do so given the atmosphere in Seattle, but should anyone realistically expect this after what has been witnessed in 2014?
The burden will also fall upon Kaepernick and the players themselves. Simplified and/or creative calls will only mean so much if those players can't execute them.
Such will be the test on Sunday.
Defense: Focus on Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson
Seattle's primary offensive playmakers are Lynch and Wilson. While there are other weapons, these two should be the lone focal points San Francisco's defense looks to limit.
The Seahawks will move the ball on the ground. That's a guarantee. Lynch posted 104 rushing yards in Week 13 against the 49ers. Stopping him will be the utmost priority.
But as rookie linebacker Chris Borland found out, such a task isn't easy. Tackling Lynch essentially involves slowing him down at the point of attack and then getting the added help from nearby defenders.
It's easier said than done.
Wilson's mobility also creates a problem. While lacking a deep cast of bona fide receiving threats, Wilson's rushing capabilities open up a slew of concerns with which the defense will have to contend. Perhaps we may see an additional spy from San Francisco's linebackers if the defense can muster any sort of pressure.
That pressure was widely absent during the 49ers' loss to the Raiders a week ago. Oakland quarterback Derek Carr wasn't sacked and was able to pick apart a thin 49ers secondary in the process.
But San Francisco did sack Wilson four times in Week 13. Seattle has given up 33 sacks on the year—13th most in the league—which suggests the Seahawks O-line is vulnerable.
Linebackers Aldon Smith and Aaron Lynch had a quiet showing against Oakland. Their pass-rushing prowess will be needed if the 49ers hope to generate any sort of pressure against Wilson. The return of linebacker Ahmad Brooks and, potentially, nose tackle Glenn Dorsey will help reinforce these efforts.
Turn the Negatives into Positives
San Francisco's 2014 campaign may be all but finished. But the optimistic view reveals that the 49ers are still in contention for a playoff spot.
Just barely.
For all the talk that has followed the 49ers in recent weeks, there remains a chance to at least make a statement against a hated rival—to say that this team is better than the way it has played in 2014.
This calls for everyone—the coaches and the players—to have one last stretch where they all can be on the same page.
Jones also stated during his KNBR appearance that he wanted to see which players "showed up" to play this Sunday, suggesting that would reveal a lot about the character of the guys within the locker room.
For Kaepernick, this will mean exercising the demons that have plagued him against Seattle. It will also mean using his recent media frenzy as a learning experience, regardless of how he plays on the field. But playing an effective game, making the correct decisions and impacting the game in a positive way will also be critical.
It hasn't exactly been his forte as of late.
But the rest of the team has to follow suit. The O-line, so beleaguered with injuries and underwhelming play, will need to get back to the tough, physical style for which it was once known. Receiving targets like Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin could also make their marks.
Heck, it would be nice to see tight end Vernon Davis as a part of the solution.
The 49ers have a recent nasty habit of playing down to their competition. The New York Giants, Washington Redskins and Raiders are prime examples. They haven't exactly risen to the occasion against superior opponents either.
Now would be the time to offer up one last shot against the foes from up north—to rise up and meet the scenario without leaving anything on the field.
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Be sure to check out his entire archive on 49ers news, insight and analysis.
Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
