A Pacific Coast rivalry is the match-up for this week's primetime showdown.
At 4-2, the Seahawks are coming off of a huge 24-23 comeback victory over the New England Patriots. Russell Wilson had the best game of his career in that game, going 17-26, with 293 yds, & 3 TD's. The offense continues to improve game-after-game. Although Marshawn Lynch was largely quiet Sunday, he still remains a top-5 rusher, and looks to get back on track. However, he's going up against a tough Niners D.
On the other side of the ball, the Hawks have to get back to their stifling ways on defense, as they nearly gave up 500 yards of offense to NE. That being said, they did intercept Tom Brady twice, and stiffened up when they needed to. They need to play hard against a streaky Niners offense with a tough, balanced rushing attack.
Also at 4-2, the Niners are coming off of a 26-3 man-handling by the New York Giants. At one point considered approaching "elite" status (by certain pundits), QB Alex Smith looked like the pre-Harbaugh Alex Smith of old, throwing 3 picks. The running game was abandoned early as well, even though Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter were both averaging over 4 yards per carry. Their defense looked overmatched, giving up big plays to Ahmad Bradshaw, Domenik Hixon, & Victor Cruz.
That said, they remain an elite defense, and if anyone can stop the Lynch-led Hawks offense, it's them. However, it has appeared that Wilson has arrived, and they will have to contain him, as he can be an ex-factor. On offense, Alex Smith has to limit his turnovers like he did in the 4 wins, as this Hawks secondary is opportunistic. They also need to rush the ball very well, and to do so, they must not let Red Bryant & Brandon Mebane control the LOS, which will free up KJ Wright & Bobby Wagner to make tackles in the backfield.
This game has HUGE implications, as a win for either team will give them a 1-game lead in the toughest division in the NFL, the NFC West.
Will the 49ers get back to playing like the best team in the league? Or will the Seahawks force the rest of the league to acknowledge their talent?
SOUND-OFF!
At 4-2, the Seahawks are coming off of a huge 24-23 comeback victory over the New England Patriots. Russell Wilson had the best game of his career in that game, going 17-26, with 293 yds, & 3 TD's. The offense continues to improve game-after-game. Although Marshawn Lynch was largely quiet Sunday, he still remains a top-5 rusher, and looks to get back on track. However, he's going up against a tough Niners D.
On the other side of the ball, the Hawks have to get back to their stifling ways on defense, as they nearly gave up 500 yards of offense to NE. That being said, they did intercept Tom Brady twice, and stiffened up when they needed to. They need to play hard against a streaky Niners offense with a tough, balanced rushing attack.
Also at 4-2, the Niners are coming off of a 26-3 man-handling by the New York Giants. At one point considered approaching "elite" status (by certain pundits), QB Alex Smith looked like the pre-Harbaugh Alex Smith of old, throwing 3 picks. The running game was abandoned early as well, even though Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter were both averaging over 4 yards per carry. Their defense looked overmatched, giving up big plays to Ahmad Bradshaw, Domenik Hixon, & Victor Cruz.
That said, they remain an elite defense, and if anyone can stop the Lynch-led Hawks offense, it's them. However, it has appeared that Wilson has arrived, and they will have to contain him, as he can be an ex-factor. On offense, Alex Smith has to limit his turnovers like he did in the 4 wins, as this Hawks secondary is opportunistic. They also need to rush the ball very well, and to do so, they must not let Red Bryant & Brandon Mebane control the LOS, which will free up KJ Wright & Bobby Wagner to make tackles in the backfield.
This game has HUGE implications, as a win for either team will give them a 1-game lead in the toughest division in the NFL, the NFC West.
Will the 49ers get back to playing like the best team in the league? Or will the Seahawks force the rest of the league to acknowledge their talent?
SOUND-OFF!
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