It’s going to be loud and rowdy in Seattle on Sunday night. The San Francisco 49ers will be in town to play the Seattle Seahawks in a nationally televised Sunday Night Football contest between the two 1 – 0 teams.
While both NFC West division rivals kicked off the 2013 season with opening weekend victories, they earned their wins in distinctly different ways. As a modest favorite, Seattle managed to eke out a hard-fought decision over the Carolina Panthers by a score of 12 – 7. Seattle’s defense effectively thwarted the Panthers’ offense by harassing quarterback Cam Newton into 16 of 23 passing for only 127 yards.
San Francisco, in contrast, held serve at home against the determined and offensively gifted Green Bay Packers by a final score of 34 – 28. That the Packers were able to put up 28 points on the road against San Francisco’s vaunted defense should give both hope and pause to Seahawks fans.
The Packers/49ers week one contest offers an excellent glimpse into the state of the 49ers, by way of the positional matchups between the two teams. Good news for Seattle fans — The Seahawks match up better with the 49ers than the vanquished Packers.
49ers aerial attack vs. Seattle’s pass defense
The 49ers put on an air show last Sunday. Colin Kaepernick finished the game with 412 yards and three touchdowns. Newly arrived receiver Anquan Boldin was one of two go-to players for which the Packers had no answer. Boldin’s 49ers debut consisted of 13 catches for 208 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Vernon Davis also had his way with the Packers, nabbing six catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
If there is a defensive secondary in the NFL that can put a stop to the strong-armed Kaepernick and his two top receiving threats, it’s the legion of boom. The Packers’ defensive secondary was overmatched from the outset, particularly at the safety positions. Packers starting safeties Jerron McMillian and M.D. Jennings regularly gave up catches over the deep middle to Boldin, Davis and Kyle Williams.
Seattle’s starting safeties, Pro Bowlers Earl Thomas (2011, 2012) and Kam Chancellor (2011), will provide a much stiffer test for the pass-happy 49ers. Whereas the Packers’ McMillian appeared hesitant to get within six feet of the frequently unencumbered Boldin, Thomas and Chancellor will rely on superior athleticism, speed and ill intentions to make Boldin’s second game as a 49er less welcoming.
The Packers held the 49ers running game in check (2.6 yards per carry on 34 attempts) and didn’t let Kaepernick beat them with his feet (22 yards rushing). Instead, Kaepernick wisely chose to fill the air with footballs and let his teammates find the open spots. Kaepernick should experience much greater resistance against Seattle’s fifth-ranked defense (second in scoring).
Seahawks ground game vs. the 49ers run defense
The Packers could not get much going on the ground against the 49ers until the fourth quarter. Packers rookie running back Eddie Lacy grabbed some pine after he coughed up the ball deep in enemy territory in the second quarter. It wasn’t until he was re-inserted in the game in the fourth quarter that the Packers were able to make headway against the 49ers defensive front. They even managed to take a fourth-quarter lead on a drive that featured a heavy dose of Lacy.
The Seahawks should have no such problem. In contrast to the Packers offense, the Seahawks will start with and continue to rely on Marshawn Lynch to make the tough yards, break tackles for extra yardage and to generally keep the 49ers honest — a feat the Packers were unable to pull off.
Seattle’s offensive line was unsteady against the Panthers. They averaged a mere 2.7 yards per carry and allowed Russell Wilson to labor under duress all day. While the Seahawks were held to an uncharacteristic 70 team rushing yards on the day against the Panthers, the Seahawks experienced much greater success running the ball against the 49ers in their two 2012 matchups with 312 yards.
With an average of 156 rushing yards per game last year against the 49ers, expect to see plenty of beast mode on Sunday night.
Seahawks run defense vs. 49ers rushing attack
The Seahawks’ front seven proved to be distressingly porous against the Panthers’ DeAngelo Williams, Mike Tolbert and Newton. Their trio of runners managed a healthy 134 yards on 5.2 yards per carry. The 49ers surely noticed. While they deliberately stayed away from the read-option against the Packers, expect the 49ers to work in a few more read-option looks to try to loosen up the Seahawks’ defense.
Frank Gore’s substandard 44-yard (21 attempts) performance against the Packers surprised many, considering his status as one of the NFL’s most consistent running threats. Another poor performance could open the door for more opportunities for speedy Kendall Hunter and Kaepernick’s option runs and scrambles.
Last week, the 49ers effectively assumed the identity of a fast-break basketball offense as they passed the Packers into submission. Expect them to meet more resistance from the Seahawks defensive backfield and adjust their run/pass balance to rely more heavily on a ground attack.
Seattle may be challenged to match the 28 points the Packers put up against the 49ers in their home stadium. They may not need to. With a superior pass defense and more effective running game, combined with the 49ers’ sputtering run attack, the Seahawks are well-positioned to succeed where the Packers failed.
Julian Rogers is a freelance writer and communications consultant. Follow him on Twitter (@mrturophile), or connect with him on LinkedIn and Google+.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
