4 matchups 49ers must win in Week 4 bout vs. Seahawks
By Peter Panacy
42. 49ers -3. 1-2. 36. Sunday, Oct. 3. 2-1. Fox. 4:05 p.m. ET
The 49ers are likely to engage in a shootout with the Seahawks in Week 4, and these four matchups will be crucial in determining the outcome.
The San Francisco 49ers‘ Week 3 loss to the Green Bay Packers should be viewed as a bit of a wakeup call, especially now with the Niners looking at the possibility of falling to 2-2 depending on the outcome of their Week 4 matchup against their NFC West division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks.
True, the Seahawks enter this game 1-2 after dropping two consecutive games. But Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson has never lost three games in a row despite facing that challenge 10 times in his career.
And with a banged-up San Francisco squad already facing some notable challenges early this season, Week 4 could prove to be a vital tipping point one way or another.
The 49ers lost some key one-on-one and unit-versus-unit matchups against the Packers. But to stave off a losing streak, the Niners will want to be sure they’re on the right side of these crucial Week 4 matchups this Sunday.
No. 4: 49ers Emmanuel Moseley vs. Seahawks Tyler Lockett
There’ll be some provocative one-on-one matchups in San Francisco’s secondary this weekend, especially with the 49ers being without cornerbacks Josh Norman (chest) and K’Waun Williams (calf).
The Niners will do some shuffling yet are likely to try matching up their best remaining option, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, against Wilson’s favorite target, wide receiver Tyler Lockett, who is already averaging over 100 receiving yards per game this season and has three touchdowns to go along with it.
Moseley, who missed the first two weeks of the year with a knee injury, had some up-and-down moments against the Packers in Week 3, including getting flagged for a questionable defensive pass-interference call on a crucial third-down play.
Life won’t get any easier versus Lockett, though, who has 488 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 11 career games against San Francisco.
If Moseley limits Lockett’s production in Week 4, the 49ers stand a good chance.