The San Francisco 49ers grinded out a hard-fought and necessary division win against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5, winning by a final score of 32-29.
That high score, though, does not reflect how much of a challenge the Niners faced against Seattle.
The 49ers finished the game with less than 200 yards in the air and less than 100 yards on the ground. Their offensive "explosion" came from short fields and red-zone dominance rather than offensive supremacy.
One player proved to be the exception: first-year 49er and future Hall of Famer Mike Evans. Unlike the rest of the offense, all of whom seemed to struggle everywhere across the field, Evans dominated his matchups, finishing with seven receptions for over 100 yards, a touchdown, and a clutch reception every time San Francisco needed it.
Evans proved to be the answer to Seattle's defense, an answer the 49ers had lacked last year.
Evans' dominance helped show the one weakness, if it can be called that, from Seattle's defense: its struggles against elite outside receivers.
Per Ted Nguyen of The Athletic, "in the last two seasons ... the Seahawks' defense has surrendered 24 or more points only six times. In those six games, the Seahawks allowed a success rate of 58.2 percent on targets to wide receivers [compared to] a 39.9 percent success rate in every other game."
That major difference in success rate comes from how the Seahawks defense handles elite receivers one on one; their system can often place corners in isolated matchups, and elite quarterback-wide receiver combinations can take advantage.
The 49ers now have that. But beyond Evans' dominance in the present, he showed the template for how another Niners receiver might be a game-changer against Seattle.
DeZhaun Stribling has size and speed necessary to replicate Mike Evans' dominance
As opposed to other receivers the 49ers have had in the past, rookie DeZhaun Stribling combines prototypical size and speed from an elite outside receiver. Those raw physical traits give Stribling the athletic edge necessary to punish Seattle over the middle, where its defense closes fast, but he can also make contested catches down the field in the one-on-one opportunities the defense allows.
Given how Seattle (and other teams) will likely begin to key in on Evans down the field going forward, Stribling's ability to win on the outside and succeed one on one might be the key to keeping the 49ers offense afloat against the best defenses.
There are high expectations for the rookie, especially given his current injury status and the rust he's likely accumulating. But, as the Niners showed against Seattle, sometimes teams need players who can simply win on talent.
Stribling is one of the few 49ers who has the ability to do so. Using Evans as a template for success, Stribling's number will likely be called upon, if not against Seattle in late November, certainly during the playoffs.
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