SF 49ers vs. Seahawks: 5 reasons why Niners pull off upset
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: Seahawks defense isn’t imposing in 2020
While Seattle boasts the league’s best offense, and that’s a problem in of itself for San Francisco, the Seahawks defense has proven to be vulnerable over the first seven weeks of the season.
To date, the Seahawks rank dead last in yards allowed per game and have given up a total of 2,875 over six games played. While their run defense has been in the middle of the pack, the Seahawks pass defense has surrendered more yards on a per-game basis than anyone else, and this unit has given up 2,212 pass yards, which ranks second total behind only the Atlanta Falcons (2,334) and by one fewer game.
Looking at the metrics, Football Outsiders‘ DVOA is plus-5.3 percent for Seattle’s defense, 28th overall, which doesn’t exactly measure up well against the SF 49ers, whose offensive DVOA is plus-10.9 percent, eighth best despite all the injuries the Niners have suffered this season.
The lack of a Seahawks pass rush has been especially problematic, too, as they’ve registered a mere nine sacks on the season. According to Pro Football Focus, SF 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo‘s passer rating without facing pressure is an even 100.0 compared to 83.6 when facing it.
Even without Deebo Samuel, the Niners should still be able to move the ball on offense, keeping players like Russell Wilson and D.K. Metcalf off the field as much as possible.