Seahawks vs. 49ers: Full San Francisco Game Preview
A year or two ago, games between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks might have been viewed with a little more attention and interest given the two franchises were atop the NFL's best in recent seasons.
In 2015, both San Francisco and Seattle enter this Week 7 contest with a 2-4 record.
The Seahawks, stumbling after their 27-23 loss to the Carolina Panthers last week, having blown the lead during the fourth quarter in all four of them, will face a 49ers team gaining offensive momentum and coming off a 25-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
The prime-time Thursday Night Football matchup doesn't bode well for Seattle as is so typical for traveling teams on a short week. Still, the 49ers haven't been able to match up favorably against their NFC West rivals in recent seasons, so this contest is about as intriguing as it gets despite the sub-.500 records.
Will San Francisco's momentum continue at home in Week 7? Or will Seattle find a way to get back on track?
What is clear is whichever team comes away with the victory in this contest likely retains the slim hope of making the playoffs. And the loser, as Grant Napear of Sacramento's KHTK 1140 stated Tuesday, is "done" for the season.
Let's break down this contest and see if the 49ers can pull out a victory.
Location: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Time: 8:25 p.m. ET
TV: CBS, NFL Network
Week 6 Results and Recap
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San Francisco's Week 6 victory over the Ravens was a continuation of the 49ers' strong offensive efforts stemming from their Week 5 loss against the New York Giants.
Perhaps San Francisco was even better. At least quarterback Colin Kaepernick was.
Kaepernick threw for 340 yards on 16 completions with two touchdowns and posted a 128.2 passer rating—easily the best performance of the season thus far.
One of Kaepernick's touchdown passes came on a 76-yard hookup with wide receiver Torrey Smith. Baltimore's secondary, especially former 49ers cornerback Shareece Wright, was continuously exposed by the 49ers aerial attack.
Smith and fellow wide receiver Anquan Boldin haunted their former Ravens team with a combined 198 yards and eight receptions. And fellow wideout Quinton Patton got in the mix with his first NFL touchdown, which proved to be the game-winner.
All of this took place while running back Carlos Hyde, who is currently nursing a foot injury, was held to just 55 yards on 21 carries during the contest.
Kaepernick didn't need to have the ground game going in this contest, which is a good sign moving forward.
On the flip side, San Francisco's defense was good enough not to lose nor give up a last-second touchdown as had been the case against the Giants. But the 49ers continue to struggle with their pass rush. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco wasn't sacked, and San Francisco recorded just one quarterback hit.
As a result, the 49ers gave up a total of 343 yards—137 of these to veteran wideout Steve Smith—and two touchdowns. Although the defense recorded two interceptions off Flacco, San Francisco will need to find a way to clamp down on opponents' offensive efforts.
News and Notes
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Reinforcements Coming?
The conclusion of Week 6 marks the time in which San Francisco could add an additional three players to its 53-man roster.
Center Daniel Kilgore (ankle) and wide receivers Jerome Simpson (suspension) and DeAndre Smelter (knee) are all eligible to return to practice after not being listed on the roster for the first six weeks, per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area.
Out of the three, Simpson seems the likeliest to return. Per Maiocco, the 49ers coaching staff is pleased with Simpson's efforts during his six-game suspension.
The 49ers may elect to take a more cautious approach with Kilgore as he continues to recover from his ankle injury suffered last season. And Smelter, feasibly, may not return at all in 2015 unless San Francisco feels rushed to add him to the roster.
San Francisco would need to clear a roster spot in order to add any player to the 53-man list.
Implementing the Pass Rush
San Francisco's pass-rushing efforts have been rather lackluster over the last two weeks with zero sacks recorded over that span.
Last week versus Baltimore, the 49ers received a minus-4.6 pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus, which is a continued example of just how much this aspect is struggling.
If there is a good sign, the Seahawks have allowed a whopping 26 sacks already on the season—highest in the NFL. And, as a unit, Seattle's pass-protection efforts can boast of a minus-34.9 PFF grade, which is also the worst in this category.
Perhaps the 49ers will be capable of regaining some lost momentum here.
Same Old Rivalry?
Seattle versus San Francisco may not have the same lore compared to seasons prior, and the fact both teams are struggling in 2015 means the context of this matchup will be a little different compared to what was seen in 2013 or 2014.
Some, like Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, downplayed the rivalry. Yet offensive guard Alex Boone feels differently as seen in this video courtesy of CSN Bay Area.
Regardless of each team's record, both the 49ers and Seahawks figure to play this game with a little more edge.
Latest Injury News
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| Player | Position | Injury |
| DeAndre Smelter (NFI) | WR | Knee |
| Daniel Kilgore (PUP) | C | Ankle |
| Dres Anderson (IR) | WR | Knee |
| Alex Boone (Questionable) | G | Shoulder |
| Joe Staley (Questionable) | T | Knee |
| Erik Pears (Questionable) | T | Back |
| Brandon Thomas (Questionable) | G | Ankle |
| Bruce Ellington (Questionable) | WR | Calf |
| Anquan Boldin (Probable) | WR | Hamstring |
| Reggie Bush (Probable) | RB | Calf |
| Carlos Hyde (Probable) | RB | Foot |
Running back Carlos Hyde is still nursing a foot injury, which could possibly explain why he amassed just 55 yards on 21 carries in Week 6. Additionally, veteran wideout Anquan Boldin is experiencing some pain in his hamstring and did not practice, per the 49ers' team-injury report.
San Francisco's offensive line is a little banged up but, as is the case with Boldin, it would be shocking not to see any of these veterans take part in the short week.
Fellow running back Reggie Bush is also probable, which is a good sign in case San Francisco's offense wants to employ some passing schemes out of the backfield on Thursday.
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Key Matchups
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Dontae Johnson vs. Jimmy Graham
San Francisco's pass defense has been vulnerable over the middle, which suggests a huge night for explosive tight end Jimmy Graham.
Graham may have not been the Seahawks' best target early on, but the 6'7" talent now leads Seattle with 29 receptions for 344 yards and two touchdowns.
Covering Graham could fall upon the shoulders of second-year cornerback Dontae Johnson, per David Fucillo of Niners Nation. Although it's likely safety Jaquiski Tartt and 49ers linebackers could get some assignments here.
Graham has averaged just 37.5 yards per game over four contests against the 49ers in his career.
49ers Pass Rush vs. Russell Wilson
With 26 sacks, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been brought down more than any other quarterback in the league in 2015. But the vaunted threat is still boasting a passer rating of 98.7 and is completing 68.9 percent of his attempts.
True, the Seahawks are struggling up front to protect him. But his ability to escape out of the pocket and extend plays means the 49ers will have to be wary of this threat and devise a plan to limit what he can do.
Linebackers Aaron Lynch and Ahmad Brooks may be expected to provide a boost to a struggling pass rush in San Francisco. But the 49ers may also want to consider adding some pressure from pass-rushing defensive lineman Tank Carradine and Arik Armstead without having to overly use blitzing schemes, which could expose the middle of San Francisco's defense.
Colin Kaepernick vs. Richard Sherman
Of course, this would be a matchup to watch. Why wouldn't it be? Niner fans can easily recall the tipped pass from quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the NFC Championship Game two seasons ago. And they'll remember Sherman's two interceptions off Kaepernick last Thanksgiving.
According to Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus, 49ers quarterbacks have a 17.3 quarterback rating when targeting Sherman.
Sherman has a minus-2.9 pass-coverage grade per PFF on the season, and Kaepernick seems to be improving after back-to-back outings.
Which side gets the edge on Thursday?
Matchup X-Factors
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49ers X-factors of the Week: Aaron Lynch and Colin Kaepernick
As noted previously, the 49ers are struggling to get sacks. And the Seahawks are having difficulty preventing them.
This is a prime weakness-versus-weakness bout, but the 49ers could have an edge if linebacker Aaron Lynch is able to find his stride against a suspect Seattle offensive line.
Lynch leads the 49ers with three sacks on the year and has a plus-7.7 pass-rushing PFF grade with 19 hurries and six quarterback hits.
If San Francisco's defense is to have success against quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense, Lynch will need to be at his best and continuously harass Seattle's signal-caller.
On the flip side, fans will be wondering whether quarterback Colin Kaepernick can continue his recently found success or if the Seahawks will continue their dominance over San Francisco's man under center.
Kaepernick owns a career 53.7 passer rating against Seattle with two touchdowns thrown against seven interceptions over six regular-season games. Those numbers, obviously, aren't very good.
But the context is different in 2015. Seattle's defense isn't playing at the same level as it used to when the team made it to back-to-back Super Bowls. So perhaps this Week 7 bout could be the moment in which Kaepernick finally gets "over the hump" against a team that's dominated him in the past.
Prediction: Seahawks 17, 49ers 24
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Yep, let's go with the upset.
Odds Shark currently lists Seattle as 6.5-point favorites in this Thursday Night Football contest. On paper, the Seahawks should be a better team.
Seattle still ranks No. 4 in the NFL in fewest yards allowed (1,917) and its long-relied-upon rushing game is No. 2 with 827 yards on the ground. In comparison, San Francisco's defense is 31st with 2,454 all-purpose yards given up and, despite the 12th-best ground attack, the 49ers offense is No. 30 with just 1,927 yards gained.
But games aren't played on paper and, judging by each team's recent results, the 49ers are trending upward while the Seahawks are struggling to find their way.
If this game was in Seattle, San Francisco's chances would be nary at best. The 49ers aren't good enough to overcome that hurdle regardless of the Seahawks' woes. Yet factoring in each team's current situation and Seattle's short week plus travel, and the 49ers do have a bit of an edge.
Depending on the aforementioned factors and matchups, San Francisco could pull this one off.
Look for that to happen in Week 7.
Prediction: Seahawks 17, 49ers 24
All statistics, injury reports, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist covering the San Francisco 49ers for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
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