Seahawks know 49ers will run proper at leaky rush protection

When the 49ers and Seattle Seahawks met in Week 2, Trey Lance was the brand new beginning quarterback for a group anticipated to achieve the postseason.

Seattle, however, was a projected also-ran following a 7-10 season after which buying and selling Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos with the notion of changing him with Geno Smith, a veteran who hadn’t held a beginning job in a decade.

Lance broke his ankle, with Jimmy Garoppolo coming off the bench. The 49ers ran the ball 46 instances for 189 yards, received 27-7, and though the Wilson-for-Smith change has gone higher than anybody may have imagined, Seattle continues to be struggling to close down the run.

Together with a 30-24 loss to Carolina Sunday at Lumen Area, Seattle has given up 838 yards speeding in its final 4 video games. The 49ers, the NFL’s high run protection, have surrendered 976 yards all season.

Security Ryan Neal had a tough time concealing his disgust after the loss to Carolina throughout which the Panthers ran the ball 16 instances for 102 yards on their final two scoring drives.

“When it turns to the again finish of the season, groups are simply going to out-physical you for those who’re not stopping it and so they’re simply going to maintain doing that,” Neal stated. “We’ve received a group coming in on Thursday who likes to play like that, and we all know that, so we’ve received to get it mounted — level clean, interval.”

Carroll conceded the Seahawks had been absolutely conscious of what Carolina was going to do and had been helpless to cease it.

“They ran their recreation. We had been attempting to knock them again and we couldn’t get it achieved,” Carroll stated. “We tried every thing that we needed to get it stopped and we weren’t capable of cease them.

they ran their recreation. We had been attempting to knock them again and we couldn’t get it achieved. We tried every thing that we needed to get it stopped and we weren’t capable of cease them.”

GAME ESSENTIALS: 49ers (9-4) vs. Seahawks (7-6), Thursday at 5:15 p.m., Lumen Area (Prime). Odds: 49ers minus-1

THREE REASONS FOR 49ERS OPTIMISM

Constant ahead progress

No matter who’s carrying the ball, the 49ers ought to have their means when it comes to the bottom recreation in opposition to the Seattle entrance seven. To lighten the load (as a ball-carrier) considerably on Christian McCaffrey and with Deebo Samuel out, don’t be stunned if Jordan Mason has a much bigger function.

Mason, an undrafted free agent from Georgia Tech, has been a better within the final three video games, coming in in the course of the second half with 24 carries for 132 yards — averaging 5.5 yards per try. The 49ers may additionally promote Tevin Coleman from the apply squad or activate rookie third-round choose Ty Davis-Worth.

Purdy’s magic

If Purdy’s left indirect pressure will not be an element, the rookie seventh-round choose has given the 49ers a shot of adrenaline throughout his two performances following the lack of Garoppolo for the remainder of the common season as a result of a foot harm.

Gamers can say all they need that they had religion in Purdy based mostly on his scout group work and his recreation in opposition to the Dolphins final week. However making ready because the starter and truly beginning an essential recreation is fully completely different and Purdy’s efficiency was extraordinary.

Quite than simply handle the sport and never flip it over, Purdy executed performs as known as and likewise created on his personal when issues broke down. Suppose alongside the strains of Jeff Garcia, solely smoother when it comes to supply.

Defensive dominance

The 49ers hand over a play right here or there, or get lucky when an enormous play equivalent to Sunday’s Tom Brady to Mike Evans long-distance strike was known as again as a result of penalty. However for probably the most half, they’ve been stifling groups ever since getting strafed by the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Week 7.

Since that recreation, the 49ers have given up simply 64 factors in six video games and had 12 takeaways. That’s championship-level protection. If Smith will get the ball out rapidly to keep away from sacks as Brady did, the 49ers confirmed they will rally up and make tackles — particularly linebacker Dre Greenlaw.

THREE REASONS FOR 49ERS PESSIMISM

A decade-plus of distress

It’s truthful to say whether or not it was known as CenturyLink Area or Lumen Area, the Seattle venue has been the 49ers’ least favourite since Pete Carroll turned head coach of the Seahawks in 2010.

Seattle received final yr 30-23 in a recreation that included a 73-yard with a faux punt by Travis Homer on the primary sequence. The 49ers truly led 23-14 however misplaced to a Seattle group that completed 7-10. That’s about par for the course in Seattle, which has crushed the 49ers 10 out of 12 instances on their house area beneath Carroll.

Oddsmakers are fairly good at their job, as evidenced by Minnesota at Detroit final week, and the 49ers are solely one-point favorites.

Smith seeks signature win

Smith is trying to rebound after his first two-interception recreation of the season in opposition to Carolina, though one of many picks got here when he believed Carolina jumped and he thought he had a free play.

However even after finishing lower than 60 p.c of his passes in a recreation for the primary time this season, it’s been a outstanding late-career surge for Smith. He’s finishing 71.5 p.c of his passes with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

“We’ve got to show it. Nothing I can say up right here goes to make us a playoff group,” Smith stated. “We’ve got to go on the market and play.”

Purdy is predicted to begin however indirect and rib points. If he doesn’t make it by way of the sport, career-journeyman Josh Johnson takes over.

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