The Seattle Seahawks emerge from the bye with one more chance to beat the bully on the block: The San Francisco 49ers. Autumn winds have given way to winter temps, and the true contenders in the NFL are beginning to separate. Can the Seahawks, owners of a 4-5 record and 4th place in the NFC West, keep up?
This is also a portion of the season where evaluation for the next year should play a factor as well. Did that play a role in the shocking release of Tyrel Dodson? Quite possible. First-year head coach Mike Macdonald is on a quest to find his guys. Ones that will help make Seattle's new schemes come to life. There have been more than a few adjustments to the starting lineup over the course of the season.
All that being said, the development of Seattle's young core of players will most likely take center stage going forward and serve to chart the course for how the Seahawks organization will move in the future. If the playoffs are to be attainable for this team, a win against a division foe would go a long way toward providing both hope and momentum. Along with being in the division cellar, Seattle is 0-2 against their set rivals so far.
Seahawks players that must be the ones to ball out versus the 49ers
Back in the Week 6 game at Lumen Field, the Niners scored 12 points off of Seahawk turnovers. The 49ers then proceeded to win by a 12-point margin. There are a few key pieces on this team that must help to turn the tide in the rematch on Sunday. *Spoiler Alert* they are all a part of the youth movement in the PNW.
Tyrice Knight - Seahawks inside linebacker
This week, Seattle's brain trust decided to cut a leading tackler, starting middle linebacker and play caller, in Tyrel Dodson. Somebody must fill the void. Some will see it as a confusing and nonsensical transaction, but one thing is for sure: it was a statement move by the new coaching staff; now the results must show. What an opponent to hand the reigns over against.
Mike Macdonald is a linebacker specialist and is placing a lot of trust/opportunity in a young rookie’s lap. Tyrice Knight will need to grow up fast with Christian McCaffrey back from his Madden curse-induced injury exile and looking to get downhill to carry his team to the playoffs. The wild part is that the 49ers rushed for 228 without CMC earlier in the calendar. The remnant of the linebacker group will need to show why they are still here, and worthy of the opportunity in front of them. Especially with K.J. Wright playing double-agent on the other side… that's just wrong.
Abraham Lucas - Seahawks offensive tackle
The 12th man is collectively celebrating a separate move by the Seahawks this week. Big Abe Lucas was activated to the roster midweek and it looks like he could make his season debut in the Bay area. This is crucial, as left tackle, Charles Cross excelled earlier in the season against San Francisco, but the other side of the line was exploited.
Cross was the only offensive player to earn a PFF grade of 70 or above. Fill-in right tackle, Stone Forsythe gave up 8+ pressures. The pressure numbers depend on the site that you consult, but I saw one credit Bosa with the most pressure by a single player in one game over the last four years. Yikes. On top of that, the Hawks found no room to run the ball against Frisco, gaining only 52 yards to SF's 228.
The highest-graded Seahawks in Week 6 vs the 49ers:
— PFF SEA Seahawks (@PFF_Seahawks) October 11, 2024
🥇 Charles Cross - 82.7
🥈 Devon Witherspoon - 75.7
🥉 Jarran Reed - 74.1
🏅 Leonard Williams - 71.3
🏅 Jerome Baker - 70.8
(min. 25 snaps) pic.twitter.com/DOBOCGjdT6
If Lucas can hold down the fort on the other side, the offense may finally have a chance. Give Geno Smith some room to breathe and see what he can do, how does that sound? Spring Kenneth Walker III for some chunk gains? It's not ideal to face off against Nick Bosa in your first game back from a lingering knee injury, but what can you do? The above pressure numbers from the first showdown paint the picture of even a moderate improvement in having the ability to ease the job of Seattle's quarterback.
Derick Hall - Seahawks edge rusher
In Week 8, this young man hit Bills QB Josh Allen late (drawing a backbreaking penalty) and subsequently got publicly chewed out by teammate, Jarran Reed. Will he show growth and maturity after the great sideline blowup of 2024? We can sure hope so. Having a veteran who is unafraid to hold you accountable is why you bring those types of players onto a young roster.
To win this game, Seattle needs to disrupt the timing of the San Francisco offense. Brock Purdy can be had when he is pressured and moved off of his spot. That's where D-Hall comes in. He is the Seahawks' leading sack artist (5) thus far in the season, having made a visible leap in his sophomore campaign. With Uchenna Nwosu still on IR, it has to be Hall to step in and team up with Boye Mafe to make life uncomfortable for the home team.