Week 6 TNF: 49ers (2-3) at Seahawks (3-2)
- Greg ONeill
- Oct 10, 2024
- 3 min read
Game Odds:
SF -3.5, Over/Under 49.5
Quick Facts:
The 49ers have beaten the Seahawks past 5 times they've matched up.
This will be Seattle's third game in 11 days. They lost at the Lions on Monday Night Football on Sept. 30, then lost at home to the Giants last week.
San Fran is 0-2 on the road this season. Seattle is 2-1 at home.
The 49ers' red zone offense is currently 4th worst in the NFL. They've scored a touchdown on just 9 of their 22 trips to the red zone.
The 49ers' offense is also turning the ball over at the 5th highest rate in football. They are tied for first in the NFL with 9 fumbles.
Seahawks' QB Geno Smith leads the NFL with 1,466 passing yards through five games.
Seattle's defense is 1st in the NFL in QB pressure percentage at 35.4%.
The Seahawks' defense has forced just 4 turnovers this year. The Niners have forced 8.
Seattle' offense is tied for last in the league in rushing attempts, with just 105. San Francisco has run 50 more times in the same amount of games played.
Key Injuries for SF: RB Christian McCaffrey, S Talanoa Hufanga, K Jake Moody
Key Injuries for SEA: LB Uchenna Nwosu, CB Tariq Woolen, DT Byron Murphy II
Pick: 49ers -3.5 (-115)
Bonus Pick: Deebo Samuel Anytime TD Scorer (+120)
Score Prediction: 49ers 31 Seahawks 26
I see the 49ers extending their winning streak against Seattle to six. They’ve already dropped their first two division games of the season to the Rams and Cardinals and they have a very difficult schedule ahead (beginning with a game against the Chiefs next week) so there is no doubt they are going to come into this one with a strong sense of urgency and focus. They need to do the little things - specifically, executing in the red zone and avoiding turnovers - that determine the outcomes of football games. We all know San Francisco’s offense thrives off the run game, and Seattle has struggled to contain the run the past two weeks. They surrendered 176 rushing yards to the Giants and 116 to the Lions. The 49ers have had no issues running the ball effectively, even in Christian McCaffrey's absence. The problem has been turning it over at inopportune times. If they can simply hold onto the ball and finish drives tonight, they will put a lot of points on the board like they have in the past. They've been beating themselves this season. For example, in the Niners' 23-17 loss at Minnesota, they had 2 drives end on failed 4th down conversions (including an 88 yard drive that ended at the MIN 2 yard line), one on an interception, one on a fumble, and even had a punt attempt blocked. In their loss last week to the Cards, they had to settle for field goals on drives ending at the Arizona 2, the Arizona 10, and the Arizona 7. Their last 4 drives of the game ended in turnovers - twice on downs, with one interception and one fumble. Even with all those miscues, they were close enough to winning both ballgames. This game will be a great opportunity to get back on track. I get the sense that one of the issues for San Fran the past couple of weeks is that Deebo Samuel has been playing at less than 100% with a calf injury. There's no other way to explain his lack of involvement in the gameplan. He is not listed on this week's injury report, so I am optimistic that he's going to make a larger impact on this game. In his career, Samuel has played the Seahawks 7 times. He's exceeded 100+ receiving yards in 5 of those 7 games. Look for him to be an X-Factor tonight. As far as the number of points in this game, I'd lean toward the "Over," but I am a little hesitant based on A) The Niners' red zone woes could continue, B) The clock could be moving quickly if SF has success running the ball, and Seattle will want to get their rushing attempt numbers up too, C) More often than not, Thursday Night Football games are sloppy and/or lopsided, and D) Seattle's 3rd game in 11 days could prove to be a challenge as far as stamina. This is a new era of the Niners-Seahawks rivalry - these squads are definitely offense-driven. The days of dominant defense are kind of behind us.
Who will win Thursday night?
0%San Francisco 49ers
0%Seattle Seahawks
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