49ers vs. Seahawks: 5 Week 17 matchups to watch for San Francisco
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers Offensive Line vs. Jadeveon Clowney
Back in Week 10, Seahawks EDGE Jadeveon Clowney absolutely took over the game at Levi’s Stadium from a defensive standpoint, picking up a season-high five tackles, a sack, five quarterback hits and a forced fumble, all going along with numerous pressures and a game-changing presence on the field.
But Clowney has been sidelined with a muscle-core injury the past two weeks, and it’s still not totally clear whether or not he’ll play on Sunday.
Given the stakes of the game, however, one would probably assume Pete Carroll gives Clowney the go-ahead as long as the talented pass-rusher is healthy.
Clowney typically lines up on the weak side of the formation, meaning he’ll work often against veteran left tackle Joe Staley. But like many elite pass-rushers, Seattle won’t hesitate to put Clowney in other areas, too, meaning San Francisco’s offense line could be in for a tough challenge if Clowney is anywhere near to 100 percent.
To date, Football Outsiders has the 49ers O-line ranked 15th in pass protection.