49ers vs. Seahawks: Week 13 preview with FanSided’s 12th Man Rising

Niner Noise sat down with our friends at 12th Man Rising to discuss the San Francisco 49ers’ upcoming Week 13 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday.

San Francisco 49ers fans and Seattle Seahawks fans may not be the best of friends. But us here at Niner Noise are always friends with our fellow FanSided pals over at 12th Man Rising.

In fact, we’re so good of friends, we decided to have a nice little Q&A session to discuss the Niners’ Week 13 road bout at CenturyLink Field this Sunday against those 6-5 Seahawks.

Seattle is still in the playoff hunt, while at 2-9, head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. are gearing up on the ways to prepare and improve for 2019. Being an NFC West rivalry game, particularly with cornerback Richard Sherman returning to the grounds where he used to torment the 49ers for years, will make this divisional bout interesting still.

12th Man Rising site expert Lee Vowell answered some of our pressing questions about the Seahawks and this particular bout.

To see our responses to 12th Man Rising’s questions, click here.

NN: Russell Wilson has been seemingly carrying this team and well beyond expectations, leading to a possible playoff berth. But for a playoff run to be successful, who else needs to step up to support Wilson?

"LV: To be honest, Wilson has been somewhat inconsistent this season. The way offenses run in the NFL, QBR should look good for every quarterback. Wilson’s is good this season as it is every year. He is a very good quarterback and the Seahawks are lucky to have him. But he has also thrown two really bad pick-sixes this year.And some big reasons the Seahawks are 6-5 in 2018 have a lot to do with younger players taking on bigger roles and being successful. Second-year running back Chris Carson has been great, even if he lately has been prone to coughing up the football. Rookie corner Tre Flowers has really been Seattle’s best cornerback this year. And punter Michael Dickson, as strange as it may sound to some, has been a defensive weapon with the length and height of his punts.All the players above need to continue to play at a high level for Seattle to try to get to the playoffs. Plus, Frank Clark and Jarran Reed need to continue to supply the weekly pass rush that only these two players have consistently created for the Seahawks."

NN: Seattle’s offensive line gets a lot of flak, although there have been some notable improvements ever since Tom Cable left for Oakland. What have you noticed that’s been the biggest difference?

"LV: Seattle’s offensive line is much better than it has been in the last several years. You pointed out one big difference: Tom Cable and his confusing zone-rushing scheme is gone. New offensive line coach Mike Solari has simplified things but also been a really good teacher. For instance, Germain Ifedi was atrocious under Cable but has been pretty solid under Solari.It also helps that left tackle Duane Brown is a good player and has been in Seattle for a full year now. Plus, D.J. Fluker and J.R. Sweezy, — two offseason acquisitions — have been very good this year, especially Fluker. But it also helps that Seattle has running backs that can create yards after first contact, so Seattle’s rushing statistics are made better by the talent of Carson and company."

NN: Let’s look at the Seahawks’ upcoming offseason? What would you consider to be the top three positional priorities?

"LV: First and by far the most important is for Seattle to get some pass-rushing help. Defensive end  Clark is a free agent and the Seahawks must find the money to re-sign him to an extension. After Clark, the ends have been very inconsistent. There are no long-term clear answers on the current roster to how Seattle can get to the opposing quarterback beyond Clark and Reed.Second is to re-sign Fluker and possibly Sweezy. The offensive line finally has some decent talent and is building cohesion. Subtract Fluker and Sweezy from the 2019 roster and Seattle is basically starting over to some degree.Lastly is the linebacker that plays opposite Bobby Wagner. Seattle mostly runs a 4-2-5 defense. Wagner is great. But K.J. Wright has been injured most of the season and is also in his free agent year. Should Seattle re-sign him or is he starting to break down? The Seahawks might also try to keep Mychal Kendricks if he doesn’t get sentenced for money fraud. Kendricks has already been suspended by the NFL so if he doesn’t spend jail time he could return to Seattle in 2019 and beyond."

NN: It doesn’t look as if safety Earl Thomas is going to be on a good note with the Seahawks unless he’s re-signed to a lucrative deal. As a player many 49ers fans want to target, what do you think the chances are he returns to Seattle in 2019?

"LV: There is no way Thomas comes back to play for the Seahawks. First, the way he left was nearly not repairable as he held out all preseason and then came back to play a few games before being injured and flipping the team off as he left the field. Secondly, Seattle has been mostly fine without Thomas. Second-year player Tedric Thompson will never be as good as Thomas but he also isn’t bad. The fact is that Seattle doesn’t need to spend the money to bring Thomas back. That money should be better used to sign players like Clark."

NN: The 49ers are probably going to lose in Week 13. But instead of looking at the obvious reasons why, tell me what you think the Niners could do to Seattle to pull off a road upset.

"LV: The easiest answer to this is that the Seahawks are no longer the kind of team that can show up and beat another team based on Seattle’s talent alone. Seattle needs things to go right every week to win. If Wilson has a bad game on Sunday, for instance, Seattle could lose. Plus, Seattle’s defense is still young and not great. The 49ers can run against Seattle. With a few turnovers and a bad game by Wilson, the 49ers can win on Sunday."

The 49ers are currently 10-point underdogs for this game, according to Odds Shark. And Seattle owns a winning streak over San Francisco dating all the way back to the 2013 season.

On a positive note, though, the Seahawks are allowing a league-worst 5.3 yards per rush, meaning running back Matt Breida could have himself a good game and put up his third straight game of 100-plus yards rushing.

If that winds up being a true X-factor, the Niners have a slight chance.

Did we mention slight?

At any rate, be sure to follow Lee Vowell on Twitter — @LeeVowell — as well as 12th Man Rising — @12thMan_Rising — if you want to see the perspective from the opposite side of the trenches.

The 49ers and Seahawks kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 2 from CenturyLink Field in Seattle.