Depending on who you talk to, this is just another game, a big game for the playoff run, the most important game in recent history, or this game determines the fate of these two franchises for the next 10 years. The Seahawks haven’t won here since the 2008 season. The infamous game where Mike Singletary threw Vernon Davis out of the game, dropped his drawers in the locker room, and went on his ‘I want winners’ rant to the media aftetr the game. Strange days, indeed.
Seattle has won the last two games in convincing fashion. 42-13 and 29-3. Both those games of course were played in the home of Soundgarden, Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, and Alice in Chains. The Thunderdome, the Clamshell, or whatever you want to call the acoustic nightmare that is whatever they call the Seattle Seahawks stadium. I guess they like loud up there, because that stadium is akin to standing next to a jet engine. Maybe they all work for Boeing and can’t get enough of that shit. Whatever it is, the home team has a pretty big advantage in that place. Their last loss at home was way back in the 2011 season at the hands of the 49ers. A 19-17 thriller that was won by a David Akers FG with 3 minutes left off of a 41 yard pass from Alex Smith to Michael Crabtree. Speaking of Young Sir Alex, he’s the last 49er QB to beat Seattle. That came last year in week 7, the 2nd to last game Smith would finish as a 49er. The 13-6 defensive struggle where Frank Gore had a huge game, rushing for 131 yards, and Delanie Walker scored the only TD. That game of course was at the Stick.
But, and its a little but, this game is in San Francisco as well. The Niner brass thought is would be a good time to remind the fans that they should yell and scream and try to be a nuisance, so they sent flyers to them saying as much. Uh, yeah. Wonderful. I’m sure the fans in Seattle are getting a kick out of that. But still and all, the truth is Seattle isn’t as tough on the road as they are at home. But, and here’s a big but, they are winning on the road. Something they didn’t do last year. And it cost them the bye and the division last year. Now, they are the prohibitive #1 seed, have clinched as playoff spot, and can sew up the division by beating the Niners.
So, where does that leave us? Well, this game is a big deal to me. Seattle is now the cream of the NFL. They haven’t done shit in the playoffs yet, but they have pretty much beaten all comers this year, save the hiccup in Indianapolis. They destroyed Nawlins last Monday night, and are at the point where if they beat us in our house, the prohibitive Super Bowl pick from the NFC, then they have wrested the bragging rights for the NFC West, AND the NFC as the best team in the conference. It would severely hamper our quest to reach the playoffs as well.
So, how do we win this? Well, I figger Seattle will play the Niners to stop Gore and crowd the WRs and VD at the line. Which it is my hope they at least activate Jon Baldwin for the game. Quintin Patton is apparently healthy but I’ll be dipped in shit if he even sees the field for the rest of the season. But the point is, the only way to get Seattle to back off of packing the box and stuffing everything underneath is to go downfield, and to do it with multiple WR sets. One way to keep the pass rush at bay is to spread the field and run delays and draws with Gore. I won’t even mention screens as they likely won’t work with everybody playing close to the line. The good news is Michael Crabtree seems to be his old self after going through the Achilles tear and recovery. He played over 40 downs last week and showed no ill effects after the stop and go that netter him 60 yards. We finally have all our offensive weapons here and ready, line injuries notwithstanding.
Defensively the Niners are pretty much at the top of their game. Even in the past couple losses, they haven’t been the problem. Albeit the pressure has been a bit spotty at times. However, Aldon Smith seems to be regaining his form after his rehab/layoff, and Justin Smith has found his inner cowboy and has begun pushing offensive linemen around like tackling dummies. Ahmad Brooks has made everyone forget the names of our pro bowl linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. The DBs are solid as a unit, and they are being led to battle by safeties Eric Reid and Donte Whitner. That being said, Seattle is even better than the Niners in total defense and they are a very aggressive defense up front and in the defensive backfield. If they are weak in one area, it’s at LB. Something I’d like to see the 49ers exploit with Vernon Davis and Vance McDonald. Line these guys (one at a time of course) in the slot, and hopefully get some favorable matchups.
So, here we go. A game that very well determines the balance of power in the NFC for the next 5-10 years.
20-16 Niners on a defensive battle in the electric mud of Candlestick.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
I second Chuck’s thoughts. BLEEP!
“A game that very well determines the balance of power in the NFC for the next 5-10 years.”
Chuck, are you fucking kidding me? Sunday’s game has no, no determination whatsoever to the balance of powers for the upcoming years. It’s one fucking ame. That’s all it is. Next time we play Seattle at home, it will be in a whole new ballpark.
I can hear the Niner fans whispering now as they check their TL on Twitter. Time to post a pic to Facebook and take a “Selfie” to show on Instagram.
Fuck me.
How bout dem Cowboys! 😛
Hey Dennis what the hell do you look like? Are you like the rest of us, an ugly son-of-a bitch?
In my formative years I was often told I resembled a young Robert Wagner. Nowadays I look a lot more like an old Stefanie Powers.
Smartest thing you’ve ever said Dennis. Fuck you.
Chuck, that’s the beauty of my endearing and everlasting comments. Matters not where I began, it’s all about the journey. The journey that you, I, and all your readers have taken.
Is it any wonder that I have too much time on my hands?
Styx your comments up your ass..
Sigh……doesn’t anyone like jazz?
Try listening to Frank Zappa’s version of jazz, Nippy. It’ll open your eyes.
Just foir you, Nip
Dreamed I was an Eskimo
Frozen wind began to blow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLIppgE45wM
Does that qualify?
I can always tell how drunk I was the previous night by reading my last comment. My BAC had to be at least .24 That’s pretty good even for me. I’m surprised I wasn’t caught by the PPD singing, dancing and blowing bubbles in the street. And if you know Bubbles the Clown like I do, it’s not a pretty sight.
Staley said this morning he wants to play. Practiced yesterday. Wanting to play and actually playing are not the same. If he’s out, and Iupati definitely is out, that’s not cool. Seattle is missing some guys in the secondary, but I don’t think that matters with this Niner passing attack that’s still trying to figure things out, and with Roman play calling that will probably run Gore too much, with no better than fair success. 23-20, Seattle…
Well, conventional wisdon says that the Niners will try to run. Tampa Bay and St Louis both ran for over 200 yards against the Seahawks.
I really don’t think Seattle will play us the way they played them. Which is why I’d love to see the Niners come out in 4 WR sets and be very aggressive from the start. Go downfield and push VD down the seam. With 3 other WRs out there, they won’t be able to double him.
We will run on them and they will run on us but the game will be won on our defense limiting Wilson’s passing game.
Our passing game is not likely up to the league’s best passing defense, this week anyway, but Davis should be the best option against them and probably Crabs over Boldin. We should shut down Wilson’s top target, their TE Miller, easily.
Their run D is not all that. And even though it seems to piss fans off no end, our running game is what should be established first and pushed in this one. It will help CK7’s passing game overall.
.
Texans’ D comes out and plays a half-assed effort and they fire the coach. Not the D coach, the head coach.
With Staley shaky at best, if he plays, and Iupati out, I don’t like Gore’s chances to do a lot. Niner passing will win or lose this game. If I’m Harbs, I open up the playbook in this one. Forget special teams helping. Seattle has only given up 15 net yards in punt returns all SEASON — that’s crazy good…
Run blocking shouldn’t be a problem for Snyder. He’s handled guys like Suh and Fairley without help. Especially against an aggressive d-line bent on penetration. We made a living trapping guys like Suh doing the same. And it doesn’t have to be all Gore. Their weakness is run defense. It only makes sense that our game plan exploits that.
I’d make it a low scoring game for both teams. I’m guessing we can win it 17-13.
Yeah, my contention is that Seattle will put everyone and the kitchen sink up on the line. Try some big pass plays early since they won’t be able to run anyway. I don’t see why they would even try it. As I mentioned, their LBs are their weakest point of their defense. Spread the field and get VD singled-up on an LB. NO had some success getting the ball to Graham. Seattle did a good job knocking balls loose though.
Yeah, I couldn’t belive that stat when I hears it Monday night, Snarkk. That’s unreal coverage.
Graham caught three, IIRC, and had at least that many knocked down. I think Colston was the better target for Brees last week, but hard to compare with a game at CenturyLink.
Okay, just looked it up. Graham was 3 for 9, Colston 4 for 7. I don’t know which is better!?
Yeah, that was kind of my point. Graham was open a bunch of time, but Seattle closed fast and knocked a few out. To all their WRs, not just Graham and Colston. Got to be strong hanging on to shit out there.
I’d just like to get one safety back a bit if they are intent on loading up the line.
Put it this way. The Rams, Washington, Ijndy, Carolina, and plenty of other teams have taken away our run game. I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to think Seattle can’t do that as well. Which is why I’d at least SHOW multiple WR formations from the get-go. Just to see how they react to it. IF they insist on playing the run, throw early. Make THEM adjust. That is, if it works.
I wouldn’t mind handing off to Gore a lot, even if he doesn’t get much, if they would do some play action passes on first and second downs. But, that doesn’t seem to happen. And, when they bring in Hunter, he just about always gets the ball, it’s a running play. Which the opposition knows. Robinson and Davis on KNBR last Sunday were harping on that, and seemed incredulous that it continued. Seems dumb to me, too…
Eric Davis has been pretty right-on with the stuff I’ve heard from him. He was the one who was saying (and this was the after the Carolina game I think) he’d never seen a bunch of WRs (not named Boldin) who just were dogshit at getting off the line and creating any space. That KW seemed to run to coverage, and the others were flat bad.
NF49er sez: “I’d make it a low scoring game for both teams. I’m guessing we can win it 17-13.”
Yep that’s the consensus, low scoring…then there’s Nip AKA Makers Mark with the 27 point differential…
Gotcha Random etc, etc. Let’s keep ‘er going fer the stretch run and punish them freaks. Derail the Seattle bandwaggon. Point differential has narrowed of late from out of this world +27 from the Nip to +3-4 from the rest of us. Yep that’s the consensus, low scoring…(then there’s Nip AKA “Makers Mark” with the 27 point differentia)l. Place yer bets O mighty seers of future Forty Niner fortune and fame! Come on you pigskin prognosticators spill it.
Consolidation coming up…GO Niners!
Here’s something for the prognosticators, for the past three seasons the game score totals between our Niners and Pete’s slippery bunch have alternated between overs and unders.
That’s the 2010, ’11 and ’12 seasons.
This season, game 1, went under.
For game 2, the oddsmaker have set the total, now at 41.5.
Just something to keep in mind.
*oddsmakers*
My flag flies at half-staff today for Pearl Harbor not because the Kenyan usurper chooses to honor a foreign communist’s passing with the same honor on the same day.
Lowell Cohen on Kap’s interview.
http://cohn.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/17757/colin-kaepernick-needs-to-grow-up-fast/
I agree with him. Totally unnecessary for Kap or Harbaugh for that matter to treat the media and by extension us fans, with such disdain. Hiding behind this “competitive advantage” nonsense. Comparing Wilson to Kap in the interviews is night and day and Wilson isn’t giving any trade secrets away either.
Just sayin.
Not a fan of LoCo or Jr., both are far too impulsive and quick to judge in my opinion. Both also get prickly when their footballing prowess is not recognized by 49er coaches, I guess that is the prerogative of columnists & blog czars. Helps circulation/blog hits as well.
But, on this topic of reaching out to fans via the media, I agree.
I see no reason to be perpetually sullen with the media to be a successful QB. Interestingly, I recall a very different Kaepernick when he first arrived at the 49ers. Perhaps, the burden of expectations and Harbaugh’s influence has changed that.
IMO, Wilson and Luck are way ahead on many different levels, I hope soon, Kaepernick figures it out and starts to catch up.
“LoCo” that’s good and accurate.
I know some don’t care one way or another as long as we win. But I just see the whole thing as unnecessary and tiresome. I think in fact they create a level of being uptight that in the end doesn’t serve THEM in preparation and at game time. We all saw the results of playing too tight in the Singleneuron era. Granted the Cohns are tiresome too, but shrug it off for f*cks sake, I say.
Wow — just read the article 12th. I don’t give a rat’s a** if they watch MNF. Give me a break. Break it down in the film room with your coaches, for sure. But watching MNF just to listen to Gruden? Really? Tripe.
Frankly, I could give 2 shits how these guys deal with the media. Win the games, and piss on the media for all I care. Kappy’s growth as a QB doesn’t include media relations to me.
Besides, Harbaugh can be pretty funny when I’ve heard him on Lamont and Tonelli.
Cohn is an idiot of the highest order. He hated Joe Montana and Bill Walsh because they wouldn’t talk to him. He castigates Kaepernick for not watching the game? Gee, do you think they watch game film during the week, Lowell?
Fearless prediction, 33-13…Niners.
Say huh?
OK, let’s face it, Seattle is probably the best team in the NFL. I HATE Petey boy, and Richard Sherman, and I’m growing none too fond of their entire fan base to boot. But they are a well coached, disciplined team that wins games even when they’re not playing well. And Wilson, who I can’t really hate, is clearly the better qb than CK at this point.
Now that I’ve said that, and spit out the vomit-in-the-mouth part, here’s my reasoning:
Nobody expects the game to be anything but close. Seattle just blew out NO at home and is riding the “we are the greatest thing ever” bubble and they are due for a letdown. I know it’s the Niners, whom they hate, blah blah blah, but I just see a fart on the road for them, and I think it comes tomorrow. I don’t see our offense being dramatically juggernautish, instead the defense and maybe even special teams get half our points.
As you point out Chuck, our defense has more than held up their side of the bargain the last few games, even the losses. I think they will again, and getting up early and with a few breaks NOT going Seattle’s way, the game won’t be as close as many predict.
Someone buy me a beer if I’m right.
Random, Barley, Chuck… Agree on Cohn and Jr, not my cup of tea stylistically and contentious for it’s own sake to generate traffic. Also agree on the MNF B.S. and Grudens blather but I do agree with him on the nature of interviews given and that Kap has morphed into an equally sullen creature that his coach is. Agree with Barley that it is not in Kap’s nature or best interest to have become this uptight, tight lipped asshole.
Each to his own Chuck and if it doesn’t bother you I get that. For me it is getting on my tits quite frankly.
Barley, if you are right I will spring for the beer….Go Niners!
P.S. I kinda like Richard Sherman, talented obviously and funny/obnoxious in a unique blend…To Tom Brady “you mad Bro?”…Priceless.
Big game for CK. Blow out losses in his two games against them last year and this. Both on the road and he played poorly. At home he needs a good one- not big numbers, just a nice solid performance, no turnovers.
19-17 Niners.
I’ll buy you a 6 pack if you nail that pick, Barley. I wish I could remember Kappy interviews before he got to the Niners. Wasn’t he always kind of uncomfortable?
He’s got a great shoe collection.
Wow. Dissing Nelson Mandela, NoFear? That’s mighty white of you.
BLEEP IT!
New thread is up.
Bircher – birther. Right, noFear. It’s all a vast conspiracy. You a trilateralist believer? Or is it the illuminati? There are vast cabals of hard left wing plutocrats planning the downfall of western civilization right under your nose.