San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks: Complete Week 15 Preview for Seattle
The Seattle Seahawks return (9-4) home to CenturyLink Field after a two-week stint on the road to take on the slumping San Francisco 49ers (7-6) in their second matchup of the year. Though Seattle sits two games ahead of its division rival, it still is not assured of a playoff berth with three weeks left in the season.
The betting line for the game opened with the Seahawks being 7.5-point favorites, according to Odds Shark, but it has since risen even higher to 10.5. The line marks the first time in Jim Harbaugh's tenure that the 49ers have been double-digit underdogs, per ESPN's David Purdum.
The Seahawks can officially squash any hopes of a San Francisco playoff run with a victory and maintain pressure on the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals (10-3). With a second tilt against the Cardinals still on the horizon, the Seahawks can ill afford a letdown this week.
Week 14 Recap
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In a game billed as a battle of the Legion of Boom and the Seattle defense vs. Chip Kelly's fast-paced offense, the Seahawks' stalwart defense dominated from start to finish. The Philadelphia Eagles offense was held to a Chip Kelly era low of 139 yards.
The NFC clash had major playoff implications on the line, with the Seahawks taking a crucial step toward locking up a playoff berth. The Eagles started the game leading the NFC East at 9-3, while the Seahawks came in a game back of the Cardinals in the West.
Though the final score of 24-14 may not indicate it, Seattle's win doesn’t signify how dominant the team was. The Seahawks outgained the Eagles offense by over 300 yards (440 to 139). Russell Wilson carried the offense, with the Eagles front seven doing a solid job of shutting down most run plays.
But, again, the defense has rounded into championship form and allowed its offense to dominate time of possession, wearing down a Philadelphia defense and special teams that put forth a strong effort.
News and Notes
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Eagles Don't Respond to Seahawks' Post-Game Slights
The Seahawks had some terse commentary for their Week 14 opponents following their dominant performance on the field. Defensive end Michael Bennett called out Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez, saying, per Jarrett Bell of USA Today, "You need to tell the Philadelphia police that they need to put an ABP out. Because Sanchez is out there trying to impersonate a good quarterback."
Cornerback Richard Sherman had some disparaging remarks for the Eagles wide receiving corps. Eagles players decided to take the high road on the matter, refusing to give any type of response to the trash talk, per Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Seahawks Bring In New Defensive End
Former San Francisco 49ers defensive end Demarcus Dobbs left last week's game against the Eagles with an ankle sprain and is likely to miss action again this week. To help make up for the loss of depth, the Seahawks released linebacker Allen Bradford and signed defensive end David King off of the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Quote of the Week
Cornerback Richard Sherman on the San Francisco 49ers' struggles this season, according to Lindy's Sports:
"We don’t think about them at all. We don’t watch them. Unless we’re playing them it really has no bearing on what we do. We have to focus on what’s in our building and what we’re doing. So that’s all that matters.
"
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
|---|---|---|
| Max Unger | C | Questionable |
| Cooper Helfet | TE | Questionable |
| Marshawn Lynch | RB | Questionable |
| Demarcus Dobbs | DE | Out |
| Jeremy Lane | CB | Probable |
*All injury information gathered from Seattle Seahawks team page.
Marshawn Lynch's back continues to give him issues, but it hasn't stopped him from suiting up on Sundays yet. He sat out practice Wednesday and participated on a limited basis Thursday, but that's his normal weekly schedule.
Jeremy Lane looks as though he'll be full-go to play this weekend after missing the team's last two games. Cooper Helfet and Max Unger have made some strides in returning to the lineup as well, but they will likely come down to being game-time decisions.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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RT Justin Britt vs. LB Aaron Lynch and LB Ahmad Brooks
Russell Wilson was sacked three times the last time these two teams played, with Aaron Lynch and Ahmad Brooks accounting for two of them. The two 49ers linebackers gave Justin Britt plenty of trouble in the game. Britt allowed three hurries in the contest and will draw the linebacker rotation again.
The Seahawks kept tight ends Tony Moeaki and Luke Willson in-line to help pass-block, but they could be held in a few more times this week. Overall, Britt has to play a bit better, because Lynch appears to be blossoming for San Francisco and could continue to gain snaps.
QB Colin Kaepernick vs. Legion of Boom
Kaepernick has been completely off his game the last two weeks, appearing erratic and mistake-prone in both contests. The San Francisco quarterback threw two interceptions to Richard Sherman on Thanksgiving and could have thrown even more in the game.
The turnovers played a major role in swaying the outcome of a game that had been played fairly evenly up until Kaepernick's first interception. The Legion of Boom proved itself to be fully capable of handling the 49ers stable of veteran former No. 1 receivers.
The key to the matchup will be Kaepernick's ball placement and decision-making and the Seattle secondary's ability to limit his passing windows and bait him into poor throws.
X-Factor: P Jon Ryan vs. His Own Hands
Last week, Jon Ryan fumbled the snap on an early punt attempt. The Eagles recovered the ball and returned it to the Seahawks 14-yard line, setting up the first touchdown of the matchup. The gaffe left Seattle in an early hole for a game that had been primarily defensive up to that point.
Obviously, Seattle was able to recover, but Ryan came close to making the same mistake on Thanksgiving too. He fumbled the snap on a punt attempt, recovered the ball, side-stepped an oncoming rusher and punted the ball away. The 49ers return man would then fumble the ball away to the Seahawks on the same play.
Though the play went in Seattle's favor, it signals two consecutive weeks in which the Seattle punter has fumbled the snap. It's something to watch out for with every Seattle punt this weekend.
Prediction
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The way things have transpired for these two teams over the past several weeks, the chances of a San Francisco turnaround don't appear too likely. The 49ers have scored more than 17 points just once in their last seven games, with the one exception coming in an overtime contest.
Their offense has stumbled continuously throughout the season, while the Seahawks defense seems to only be getting better. Though San Francisco boasts an elite defense of its own, the poor play of its offense will likely hang it out to dry and cost the team the game again.
Prediction: San Francisco 13, Seattle 26
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