Top 4 teams to challenge 49ers for NFC crown in 2020
By Peter Panacy
49ers Challenger No. 2: Seattle Seahawks
Unlike the Cowboys, the Seattle Seahawks didn’t exactly put themselves into the “winning the offseason” conversation.
But it won’t matter, insofar as the 49ers are concerned, because of three words: quarterback Russell Wilson.
As long as Wilson is in tow, Seattle is in contention for both the NFC West and the conference as a whole. San Francisco found this out the hard way when both teams met in prime time back in Week 10 when Wilson engineered an overtime drive which ultimately led to the Niners’ first defeat of the year.
And Wilson was almost good enough to thwart the 49ers’ divisional crown and No. 1 seed prospects in Week 17 last year, too.
Keyword: almost. Thank you, linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
Seattle’s pass rush could still be a problem, particularly with EDGE Jadeveon Clowney not appearing in the picture. And some could still wonder how much Wilson is going to have to survive behind a seemingly always-permeable offensive line.
He’s done so well enough for years, though, and the Seahawks remain a top contender in both the NFC West and the conference as a result.