49ers vs. Seahawks: Breaking down San Francisco’s game plan
By Chris Wilson
The San Francisco 49ers visit the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 of the 2017 NFL Season. What is head coach Kyle Shanahan’s game plan for his debut against the Niners’ NFC West rival?
The San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks began the 2017 NFL season with different expectations, but enter Sunday’s game with identical 0-1 records:
Last week, the 49ers lost their home opener against the Carolina Panthers, who capitalized on two turnovers and two failed fourth-down attempts by the 49ers — turning the four mistakes into four scores, en route to a 23-3 victory.
San Francisco also lost its star rookie linebacker, Reuben Foster, to a multi-week leg injury.
The Niners weren’t the same team after Foster’s departure, but still managed to keep Carolina’s offensive weapons in check for the majority of the game.
The 49ers offense looked inept at times — especially on third and fourth downs — mostly due to a porous offensive line that gave up four sacks and allowed eight quarterback hits.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks also failed to score a touchdown in their defensive struggle with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Heavily pressured quarterback Russell Wilson managed only 158 yards passing, and his 40 rushing yards led the team, as no Seahawks running back attempted over six carries.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 311 yards in the matchup, but was mostly held in check by Seattle’s defense for the first half of the game. Green Bay failed to score until the third quarter, when running back Ty Montgomery and wide receiver Jordy Nelson both found the end zone.
A late Seattle field goal brought the game within one score, but the Packers subsequently ran out the clock for a 19-7 victory.
After Sunday’s game in Seattle, the 49ers have a short week to prepare for the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night, but head coach Kyle Shanahan needs to focus on the task at hand in order to break the 49ers’ current seven-game losing streak against the Seahawks.
What is the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive game plan for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday?