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Seahawks vs. 49ers: 5 Week 12 matchups to watch for San Francisco

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 27: Carlos Hyde #28 of the San Francisco 49ers breaks the tackle of K.J. Wright #50 of the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter at Levi's Stadium on November 27, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 27: Carlos Hyde #28 of the San Francisco 49ers breaks the tackle of K.J. Wright #50 of the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter at Levi's Stadium on November 27, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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49ers Garoppolo
SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 05: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to their game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levis Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

No. 1: The 49ers Quarterback vs. Seahawks Secondary

We don’t quite know yet who starts under center for the 49ers on Sunday. It’s possible the rookie, C.J. Beathard, gets a follow-up start in Week 12 as a reward for his best game as a pro back in Week 10.

But the bye week might have afforded newly acquired QB Jimmy Garoppolo enough time to adequately comprehend head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

Either way, San Francisco’s quarterback play will be crucial this week.

What makes this matchup a bit more intriguing is just how banged up Seattle’s secondary is right now. All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman is out for the year with a ruptured Achilles, while strong safety Kam Chancellor is expected to miss the rest of the season with a neck injury.

Replacing them has fallen on the shoulders of defensive backs Justin Coleman and Bradley McDougald.

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Coleman, a third-year pro out of Tennessee, has held his own as Sherman’s replacement. Pro Football Focus grades him out at 80.6 on 372 snaps. But he’s primarily responsible for nickel duties in three-wide formations, which has forced veteran corner Jeremy Lane into an increased role.

Lane’s PFF mark is 35.6, which ranks 116 out of 118 qualifying corners.

Needless to say, it’s probably a good idea for Beathard or Garoppolo to target Lane as much as possible.

Next: Identifying the 49ers' best player at each position after 10 games

The 49ers and Seahawks kick off at 4:05 p.m. ET from Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.