Weather conditions for Seahawks-49ers game will help San Francisco’s offense

Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers would be foolish to overlook the rival Seattle Seahawks in the postseason. With pending free agent Geno Smith fresh off a Pro Bowl season and one of the best wide receiver tandems in the league in Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, the Seahawks have a tremendous offense at their disposal.

The 49ers’ identity over the last few weeks has been pounding teams with McCaffrey and the running game, letting rookie sensation Brock Purdy distribute the ball to playmakers, and allowing the pass rush to get to work. Replicating this formula is the only way that San Francisco can make a run to the Super Bowl once again.

While the Seahawks’ aerial attack might throw a wrench in those plans, the conditions that San Francisco and Seattle are suiting up in on Saturday afternoon might be more suited to a patented Shanahan rushing exhibition rather than a Shane Waldron passing clinic.

The forecast for Saturday projects that there will be almost 15 mph winds leading up to and during the game, with a 90% chance of precipitation making this a wet, muddy slugfest. Nearly an inch of rain is in the forecast currently for both Friday and Saturday.

San Francisco is built to win that way. Seattle? We’re not sure yet.

The San Francisco 49ers may benefit from bad weather against Seattle.

While Offensive Rookie of the Year Kenneth Walker III seems like a player that can give this defense trouble, he ran for just 57 yards in two games against San Francisco this season. The 49ers have the league’s best defense, while Seattle ranked near the bottom in most categories before a late-season surge.

Smith has shown tremendous accuracy and arm talent this season, but this defense has held him to just 13 points in the regular season. Adverse weather conditions are not going to make things easier. On the other hand, the 49ers might be able to get an edge here.

McCaffrey is still one of the game’s best running backs, and the return of Elijah Mitchell will make the San Francisco running game that much more lethal. Even though Purdy may find it tough to light up the scoreboard as a passer, Shanahan’s YAC-heavy system will get the ball out of his hands quickly on shorter throws.

Not only will Shanahan have the ground game advantage and one of the best offensive lines in the league, but he will go against a Seattle defense that will be without star linebacker Jordyn Brooks. All of these ingredients combined together suggest that San Francisco could race out to an early lead and never look back.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks weather

FORECAST: 58 degrees and sunny. 90% chance of precipitation, 14 MPH winds

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