By: Ben Leonard

Less than two weeks ago, the vaunted Seahawks’ defense shut down Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers’ offense in a 19-3 shellacking at Levi’s Stadium. Star cornerback Richard Sherman and quarterback Russell Wilson celebrated the Thanksgiving victory by eating turkey on the 49ers’ logo at midfield, a move that many San Francisco fans did not appreciate. San Francisco has struggled with Seattle as of late, dropping four of their last five meetings with their divisional rivals. The game moves to Seattle’s CenturyLink Stadium for Sunday’s edition of the rivalry. Is there any reason to expect a different result this time around, with the Niners seeking revenge?

The Forty-Niners are fresh off of an abominable 24-13 loss to the Oakland Raiders last week, not exactly a beacon of future success. Kaepernick struggled right out of the gate, throwing an ugly interception on the first play of the game. The play was a microcosm of his recent struggles; the 49ers set up the play to help the struggling signal caller, yet he ignored the play-call. Instead of hitting his receiver in the flat for a five or six yard gain, as planned, Kaepernick scrambled around in the pocket to buy time. He forced a throw, resulting in a turnover on a play that should have been a solid gain. Kaepernick’s defiant style of play needs to be eradicated if San Francisco wants to have any chance of beating Seattle. Wilson outplayed Kaepernick in the last meeting, in which Kaepernick went just sixteen of twenty-nine for 121 yards with two interceptions. If the 49ers continue to distance themselves from their previously established identity as a power-running team, Kaepernick needs to step up, especially against a stout Seahawks secondary. He will need to be at his best against the NFL’s best pass defense, who has allowed just 190 yards per game through the air. He is 2-3 in his career against Seattle, but he has posted a measly 49.5 quarterback rating in those contests. 

Strong play from the Niners’ shoddy offensive line would certainly make things easier for the fourth-year signal caller. San Francisco has used seven different starting lines this season, and none have been satisfactory. The unit has allowed the third-most sacks in the league, and allowed Seattle to sack Kaepernick four times in the last meeting. There is not much reason to expect marked improvement from such a downtrodden unit, especially so late in the season.Kaepernick will simply have to learn to overcome adversity and step up strong in the pocket.  However, Seattle has been surprisingly weak in getting to the quarterback this season, ranked twenty-seventh in the NFL with just twenty three sacks on the season. This game could be a confidence booster against a relatively weak Seattle pass rush, if they can right the ship after the disaster in the last matchup.

Another key for San Francisco will be limiting Seattle’s rushing attack. In the last meeting, Marshawn Lynch had his way with the 49ers’ defense, rushing twenty times for 104 yards. Wilson also enjoyed a fair amount of success improvising with his legs in the last meeting, running seven times for thirty-five yards. The Niners should temper their expectations against the NFL’s best team rushing offense and focus on slowing their rushing attack, not shutting it down. If they can prevent Lynch from getting solid yardage on first and second downs, a lot of pressure will be taken off of the struggling offense. The defense would be able to key in on Wilson, and become much more effective as a unit. However, it is easier said that done against a team of this caliber. Ahmad Brooks, who was benched against Oakland for missing a team meeting, will return, and should help a defense that Derek Carr tore up last week.

In addition to revenge, the 49ers’ distant playoff hopes hinge on this game. The Jim Harbaugh era may be coming to a close after the season is over, but the Niners still have a shot, albeit miniscule. They need to win out, coupled with three consecutive losses by the Cardinals, to pass the Cardinals in the NFC West. The Niners can pass Seattle if they win out, and if Seattle loses two of three. If the Lions lose two out of three, the Niners could pass them based on a “strength of schedule” tiebreaker, given that they win out. Essentially, if San Francisco wants to make the playoffs for one last time under Harbaugh, they need to win out and get help. They face an uphill battle in both this game and in the playoff race, but don’t tell the Niners that. They will come out fired up and ready to play.

Stats courtesy of ESPN, NFL.com, and Football-Reference