Yet another gigantic game looms large in this improbable season of redemption for the 49ers. After the scorching hot start, however, the injuries have mounted, and the defense has not been the dominant force it was earlier in the season. Injuries to our interior line, DJ Jones, and Ronald Blair, have allowed opponent run games to do much better. Injuries to outside guys Kwon Alexander and Dee Ford have slowed the dominating pass rush significantly. From 1st in the league down to 30th in the past 3 games.
And this is the rub. A dominating defense can allow for mistakes by the offense. A good defense can maybe get away with one or two, but no more. We are at the breaking point. One mistake killed our chances against Atlanta, and nearly derailed the Rams game.
Seattle is as opportunistic a team as exists in the NFL. We cannot afford ANY mistakes. Yeah, they lost to AZ. Yes their line is makeshift and wildly inconsistent. Yes, they’ve lost a ton of impact players. Yes, they’ve dodged a LOT of bullets this season. Yet here they are poised to take the NFC West from our grasp.
Seattle is our nemesis. Our Kryptonite. Our hurdle to overcome to reach the promised land. Win this game, and we will be the prohibitive favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, if not be the favorites to win it all. Lose this game, and the road all of a sudden becomes 3 road playoff games. A tough row to hoe, and yes, one that has been done before, but given our injuries would be insurmountable.
I’d love to think we can pull this off, but this team NEEDS to generate a pass rush. Atlanta and LA both have shitty lines,and we did very little. Sure, we got pressure, but Ryan and Goff are both statues,and they were able to roll out and get clear passing lanes at will.
And, for fuck’s sake, STOP biting on the fakes. We have left the edge so empty of defenders so many times, it kills me. Goff must have rolled out 5 times and had no one within 15 yards of him. We looked like last year’s defense, giving up 15 yards per screen play. On our designed rollouts, we usually left a DE free to crush Jimmy G.
I’d love to see us with this game, and I hate to say it, but I don’t see it. Fat Bastard notwithstanding. The only way we win this game is in a shootout. And winning shootouts in Seattle is a monumental task.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
Starting in Seattle on week 10, since the middle of November, we’ve been in ‘playoff’ game mode. Huge games against tough opponents. Given that we lost the only ‘gimme’ I had in that stretch, Atlanta, and we are still viable for the #1 spot, that is great news.
But Seattle is peaking at the right time, and we are increasingly banged up. I hope they prove me wrong. But this could get ugly.
i don’t know what the status is for Ford but we are gonna need him for this game. Our offense is gonna have to play really clean ball and not turn the ball over. But to me this game is us against Wilson and I don’t know what the answer is for that one. We will probably need to get a little lucky. Hopefully the refs let everyone play the game fairly cause they have been known to make some shady calls up there. To me this game is what 49er football is all about and if we don’t take every opportunity they give us we will probably fall short. One thing I do know about our team is that they will not give up at any time. So we definitely got a shot.
https://ninerswire.usatoday.com/2019/12/26/49ers-seahawks-centurylink-field-record-week-17/
Ford looks tobe out unless something changes. Here’s the latest injury report. Good news for the defensive backfield, but limited help for the D line.
Did not participate
DE Dee Ford (quadricep, hamstring)
Limited participation
LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee)
G Mike Person (neck)
WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder)
S Jaquiski Tartt (ribs)
Full Participation
CB Tarvarius Moore (concussion)
DT Jullian Taylor (elbow)
Seattle may be more banged up than us
Seahawks
Did not participate
T Duane Brown (knee, biceps)
S Quandre Diggs (ankle)
C Joey Hunt (fibula)
G Mike Iupati (neck)
WR Malik Turner (concussion)
Limited participation
DE Jadeveon Clowney (core)
CB Shaquill Griffin (hamstring)
LB Mychal Kendricks (hamstring)
Full Participation
T George Fant (knee)
T Germain Ifedi (knee)
C Ethan Pocic (core)
LB Bobby Wagner (ankle)
Saints working out WR A. Brown. That’s just ugly and smells desperate.
The dude has talent. A wait-and-see thing. I’m a little surprised it wasn’t the Seahawks.
Lost Julian Taylor to a torn ACL. He was expected to go against the She-hawks. D line can’t get a break from injuries.
Christ, we can’t catch a break.
Yeah if the 49ers didn’t have bad luck they would have no luck at all..
Just got to hope the offense holds up its end of the deal with Skittles and Sanders at full strength.
Pundits are saying we win but we’ll see. I sure hope an easy win is in the cards.
Tartt’s not gonna play either and Seattle gets both Clowney and Griffin back.
Sundays game is Yuge, and one thing I think I’ve seen in the second half of the season is the Niners have played down to lesser teams and risen to the occasion against the best teams. Even the Ravens loss could just as easily have been a win.
No game this year has been bigger. I expect to see the team roaring on Sunday and beat the She-hawks for the win.
I dont believe Turbin or Lynch are too much to worry about. The She-hawks had very good runners and these replacements are out of football for good reason.
Go Niners!
hope you are right. i still have the respect of Wilson and their pass rush as our only obstacles. A win up there would cap off a great season.
Stopping Clowney is the biggest key. If we can’t score we won’t win. Slowing Wilson is also key.
All about the lines. Protect and pressure.If we can do that we win. I’m not very optimistic though.
Plus side is we did reach the playoffs, but our health is such a big factor in the slippage of the defense.
Staley&McGlitchey were just making their 1st starts back against Seattle and Clowney so rust played a factor.I think they will be good in this rematch against him.But yeah the key always comes down to Wilson, keep him contained,hold your passing lanes, don’t let him get moving around, that’s when he’s the most dangerous..
Kittle is the X-Factor tonight.
He missed the 1st matchup.
Kittle over Skittles…for the BYE 😀
I would just for once love to see the 49ers March up and down the field all night throwing 40 plus on those fucks and unleash hell on Wilson all night!!
They haven’t won up their since 2011 fuck 2011!!!
It’s way overdue for a asswhipping!!!!
I sure hope so. Biggest game since the playoff loss there.
We are getting killed on fakes up the middle with rollouts/sweeps. It started with the Ravens and we’ve been susceptible ever since. Losing Alexander and Ford has a lot to do with that.
Yeah the fakes off the rollouts have to get cleaned up!
Of course Wilson is one of the best in the games at that, they need to keep him contained in the pocket so the front 4 can put the most pressure on him..
http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3000001091761/next-gen-stats-key-figures-shaping-nfc-playoffs
I don’t think we are gonna be able to contain Wilson very much. We just got to outscore em.
At least the Seahawks won’t be the 1 or 2 seed even if they win.
I guess we find out just how good we are in a few hours.
Yeah, Green Bay’s win knocks Seattle out of the bye week. I wonder if that alters Seattle’s game plan.
I doubt it, but you never know.
New thread is up.