SF 49ers vs. Seahawks: 5 reasons why Niners pull off upset
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: SF 49ers won’t have to worry much about Seahawks’ own run game
Take away Russell Wilson’s scrambling prowess and prolific passing efforts for a second.
Seattle enters this game with three of its top four running backs banged up and, at best, questionable for the contest. Chris Carson (foot) is a game-time decision, while Carlos Hyde is dealing with a hamstring issue. Travis Homer is dealing with a knee contusion, too, leaving DeeJay Dallas, a player who only has two rushing attempts on the season, as the only fully healthy player at this position on the Seahawks depth chart.
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Even with the SF 49ers’ own running back shortages, it’s pretty safe to say they have the advantage here.
The potential threat of a Seahawks run game isn’t going to be as imposing as it otherwise might be this week, allowing the Niners to focus more attention on Wilson and the passing game. This might mean using more three-safety sets, including Tarvarius Moore as a big-nickel option to help guard against the threat D.K. Metcalf offers with his combination of size and speed.
Focusing less on the run gives San Francisco a slightly better chance of defending against the pass with more coverage players playing back from the line of scrimmage.
It’s still a gamble against Wilson, but the situation would be much worse if Seattle was able to feature a more-balanced offense on Sunday.
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The SF 49ers and Hawks kick off on Nov. 1 at 4:25 p.m. ET from CenturyLink Field.