Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

If 49ers fans thought it was tough traveling to New England to play the Patriots in December, it does not get any easier in Week 16 with San Francisco going to Seattle and facing off against their divisional rivals the Seahawks. In anticipation of the San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks game on Sunday Night Football, Niner Noise connected with Seahawks fan website 12th Man Rising and their Editor Keith Myers to preview the matchup. Enjoy and go 49ers!

Q.  Russell Wilson has looked like a completely different player from the first half the season compared to the second half of the season. What is the number one reason for the Wilson’s emergence?

A.  He is a very different player, but only statistically. Watching the games, he doing a lot of same things he did back in the early season, except now they’re working for him. I really think he’s just gotten comfortable with the offense. He now knows where all his receivers are going to be. Early in the season he’d have wide open receivers and they wouldn’t get the ball. Now, he’s finding those guys. Add in the confusion that the read-option is creating in opposing defenses, and it seems like there’s just no way to stop Wilson right now.

Q.  Seattle’s defense is looking scarier and scarier each week and is one of the best units in the NFL. Which player(s) are responsible for the defense playing so well this season?

A.  You know the cliché “it all starts up front?” Reverse that for Seattle. Everything starts with Earl Thomas at the back of the defense. His speed allows the Seahawks to play a single high safety on most plays, which frees up SS Kam Chancellor to line up anywhere on the field where he’s needed. It’s almost like having an extra guy on the field for most plays.

There are plenty of other playmakers on this defense; Richard Sherman is probably the league’s best corner this season with Revis out, Bobby Wagner will get defensive rookie of the year consideration, Chris Clemons, KJ Wright, Brandon Mebane… but everything this defense does is keyed by the speed of Earl Thomas on the back line.

Q.  What will the Seahawks need to do on offense and defense in order to pull off a win and punch their ticket to the playoffs?

A.  On offense the Seahawks really need to establish the read-option. If they can do that, it’ll neutralize really neutralize any advantage 49ers have with their defensive front 7. The read-option has a way of making players think too much, instead of just reacting and playing like they normally do. If the Seahawks can do that, they’ll be able to move the football well enough to win this game.

On defense, it comes down to being disciplined. That’s what they didn’t so in the first matchup. Guys were getting out of position and leaving their assignments, and the 49ers made them pay for it. When everyone simply does their own job, and trusts their teammates to do theirs as well, this defense can be formidable.

Q.  While the feat of scoring over 100 points in two games is impressive, the real reason why Seattle posted 50-plus points in those games is because they were playing really weak teams in the Cardinals and Bills, right?

A.  Yes and no. Neither of those teams is particularly good, but the Seahawks could have scored 70 in each of those games if they wanted to. Lynch only had 21 carries combined (for well over 200 yards). Wilson also only played 3 halves of football total in those 2 games.  And let’s not forget that, while their offense is as bad as they come, the Arizona defense is still pretty stout. Even after giving up 58 to the Seahawks, they’re still 11th in the NFL in points given up.

But then again, it is still the Cardinals and Bills, right? We’ll see how far this offense has really come this Sunday. The Seahawks won’t put up 50 on the Niners, but if they can put up 30+ points against THAT defense, than I think it will be pretty safe to say that this offense has become one of the best in the league.

Q.  What is your prediction for the game?

A.  No one comes into Seattle and wins right now. The 12th Man is such a huge advantage. As long as Richard Sherman plays, and the Seahawks aren’t stuck with their 5th and 6th string CBs out there all game, I think the Seahawks win in a close game. Seattle 27 – 23 San Francisco

Check out Niner Noise’s answers after the jump:

Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

The San Francisco 49ers play on primetime TV for the second week in a row with a game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football.  San Francisco has 41 wins on Monday Night Football in franchise history, while Arizona has lost eight of the last nine games on MNF.  However, the lone win in that span for Arizona was over San Francisco, 29-24, in 2008.

The 49ers enter the game with a 5-2 record and sit atop the NFC West.  The Cardinals are 4-3 and have dropped three straight losses after starting the season 4-0.  A win by the Cardinals would place them in a tie with the 49ers for first place in the NFC West.  After Monday night, the teams don’t play against each other again until the last game of the season.

Entering the game San Francisco has won 10 of the last 12 games against division opponents and has won five of the last six games over Arizona.  The game could be decided by the play of both teams’ quarterbacks.  Alex Smith has thrown five interceptions — total he threw all of the 2011 season.  Four of the interceptions he has thrown were in the last two games.  As a starter, Smith has an 8-1 record versus the Cardinals in his career.  Cardinals QB John Skelton is starting again for an injured Kevin Kolb.  Skelton is 6-0 at home as a starter and he led the Cardinals to a 21-19 win over the 49ers in week 14 last season.

To preview the divisional matchup on Monday Night Football, Niner Noise teamed up with Arizona Cardinals fan website Raising Zona and their Editor Scott Allen for a Q&A to get a fans perceptive of the game.  Enjoy and go 49ers!

Q.  What are the reasons why the Arizona Cardinals have lost three straight games after starting the season 4-0?

A.  Offensive line play is poor.  It’s no secret the Cards have one of the worst o-line’s in the league.  Their tackles Bobby Massie and D’Anthony Batiste have given up 22 sacks in the last three games.  Overall the Cards have been sacked 29 times in the last three games.  I never like to use injury as an excuse either, however injuries at key positions have led to major inconsistency on the offensive side of the ball.  Last week against Minnesota it was turnovers and penalties that did them in.

Q.  In the off-season the Cardinals signed guard Adam Snyder who started in 13 games and the playoffs for the 49ers last season.  He was the only player on offense not to return from last season.  How has Snyder been working out for the Cardinals offensive line?

A.  Well, people aren’t so high on Snyder right now.  I was high on him coming into the season but he hasn’t done anything spectacular.  Now he has a quad injury and may not even play this week.

Q.  When healthy who would Cardinal fans rather have starting at quarterback, John Skelton or Kevin Kolb?

A.  It’s split or maybe leaning closer to 60/40 for Skelton.  I don’t understand it?  I’m in Kolb’s camp.  Yes, Kolb is not Kurt Warner.  He manages games pretty well for the most part.  He makes boneheaded plays at times, but he’s not the first quarterback to do that.  Skelton’s record is overrated.  He still holds onto the ball too long.  He is a big part of why they lost last week.

Q.  Which players on offense and defense should Niner fans watch out for in the game Monday night?

A.  Well, right now the only offensive player they might want to key in on (other than Larry Fitzgerald, which is a given), is running back LaRod Stephens-Howling.  The guy is like a pinball and can scoot through small holes.  On defense, definitely the fans should watch linebackers Daryl Washington and Sam Acho and defensive lineman Calais Campbell.  I’m sure though the smart Niners fans already know who those guys are.

Q.  Give us your prediction of the game and a final score.

A.  San Francisco 16 Arizona 3

Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

The 49ers will try to avoid a two game losing streak at home in their Thursday Night Football contest against the Seattle Seahawks.  San Francisco has lost the last two games on Thursday night but they have defeated the Seahawks in three straight games.   To preview the game Niner Noise teamed up with Seahawks fan website 12th Man Rising and their editor Keith Myers.  Enjoy and go 49ers!

Q.  The Niners are coming off their worst game of the season and the Seahawks beat the Patriots with an exciting comeback victory.  Despite last Sunday the Niners are 7-point favorites over the Seahawks. Do Seahawks fans feel they have the better team and should be the favorites to win?

A.  The betting line actually have very little to do with the games, and everything to do with trying to manipulate how people bet on the games. The Seahawks are never favored. Even during their run of 5 straight playoff appearances and their Super Bowl year, the Seahawks were rarely favored in any game. It comes with the territory of being a team that is largely neglected by the national media. Most of the betting public simply forgets that the Seahawks exist.

As for the team’s fans, we know that this team is capable of beating anyone. This defense is truly special, and is as good of a defense as this league as seen in a few years. If Russell Wilson can continue to develop and improve as he adapts to the NFL, then this team is capable of some very big things even in the playoffs.

Q.  The Seahawks already have big wins this season over the Cowboys, Packers and Patriots.  What is the biggest difference on offense and defense for the Seahawks compared to last season?

A.  The difference on defense has been added depth, speed, and pass rush. The Seahawks can now match up and physically dominate just about any team in the league. Jason Jone and Bruce Irvin have come in to team up with Chris Clemons to allow the Seahawks to get after the QB with regularity without having to blitz. So on the rare time when they do blitz it’s usually successful.

On offense the big difference has been the improvement on the offensive line. For years, Seattle’s O-line has graded out as one of the worst in the league. That is no longer true. While it’s a young group that still occasionally makes mistakes, it is right around league average now in terms of pass protection, and can be very good at time at opening up holes for Marshawn Lynch to run through.

Q.  The Niners have the best rushing attacks in the NFL averaging 178.6 yards per game.  Which player(s) need to step up on defense for the Seahawks in order to stop Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter?

A.  The 49ers might have the league’s best running attack, but the Seahawks have the league’s 2nd best run defense. The Seahawks are only allowing 3.3 yards per attempt. This defense, from the 323 lb starting DE (Red Bryant) to the 6-3 230 lb SS (Kam Chancellor), is built to be able to stop the run without having to do anything special to do so.

Q.  Through six games rookie QB Russell Wilson has played like a veteran who has been in the league for years.  What are some of the reasons for his success this season? Do Seahawk fans consider him to be the long-term answer at QB?

A.  I’m not sure what games you’ve been watching, but in Wilson’s first 4 games he looked nothing like a veteran. Only in the last 2 has he finally turned the corner and really started to look like a potential Franchise QB, but that is sort of what you expect from a rookie. He’s made his mistakes, but he’s learned from them and gotten better each week.

As for him being the future, I think he’s starting to answer all of his doubters. His performance against the Patriots last week was special. If he continues his progress this week against a very tough 49er defense, I think everyone will agree that the Seahawks have their long term answer at QB.

Q.  What is your prediction for the game?

A.  This game is going to be a very tough game for both teams. The Seahawks have the league’s best defense this year, and the 49er’s defense isn’t exactly “soft” either. Both offenses are likely to struggle to move the ball with any consistency. Ultimately, one big play could be the difference either way. This game is really tough to call, so I’ll give it to the home team by a point.

San Francisco 17 – 16 Seattle

Niner Noise’s answers after the jump: