(Photo: Action Network)
NFC Game Of The Week
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
49ers (4-0):
For the third time under Kyle Shanahan, they are off to a 4-0 start, and so far, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen from them. When I previewed their showdown with the Denver Broncos last week, I mentioned what I saw from their offense, which has been a mix of Christian McCaffrey along with the quarterback spreading the ball around to the open receiver. I continue to be impressed with Brock Purdy, and if you were to give him some early MVP love, I wouldn’t even disagree with it. I’m noticing a quarterback who’s more in control of the offense. He’s not doing too little or too much, but just enough. As I mentioned last week, this is the best I’ve seen him look since he became QB1. In their game against the Denver Broncos last week, I thought this was the 49ers’ best all-around performance outside of their Week 1 win against the Rams. The first takeaway was the 49ers’ defense and how they won this game early. Denver had a tough time pushing the ball down the field. They made big plays at big moments and capitalized, but how about the offense not losing its confidence? Give the Broncos credit for holding this offense to three points, but I saw a football team adjust in the second half and score three touchdowns on three consecutive possessions. As I mentioned on the latest episode of Monday Evening Quarterback, this was complementary football rather than them playing explosively. Their defense kept the game manageable, special teams contributed, and the offense got it going when they had to. This Sunday, the 49ers will face the team that ended their season last year in the playoffs.
Seahawks (3-1):
If I’m being honest, I think they rushed Sam Darnold back, and they were more than capable of putting together some wins with Drew Lock under center. They won their first two games and then dropped one in Landover against the Washington Commanders in Week 3. I think they just took that Washington game a little too lightly and paid the price for it. They turned the ball over too many times, and the run game was absent. Against the Chargers, the Seahawks got back to the basics by getting the ground attack going first and foremost, which sets the tone for their offense. Next, they forced turnovers and actually capitalized on them. Most importantly, the offense was still efficient without Darnold having to throw the football so many times. It’s been a good year for Ohio State wide receivers, from Jeremiah Smith doing what he’s been doing in the college ranks to Jaxon Smith-Njigba basically picking up where he left off last season. By far, he’s been the best wide receiver in the NFL, showing why he’s the reigning Offensive Player of the Year. He only had 76 receiving yards in the win against the Chargers, but to me, that’s a positive sign because they were still able to win that game without having to force him the ball. That’s a positive takeaway. This is still going to be a tough out down the stretch as we approach playoff time. The defending champs will welcome the first-place San Francisco 49ers to town on Sunday for a divisional showdown.
49ers X-Factor: Mykel Williams
This should be a huge boost for the 49ers’ defense as Mykel is set to make his season debut and return from the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list after recovering from an ACL injury. His return comes at such a crucial time when the San Francisco defensive line has been decimated by injuries. I’ll be watching to see if Mykel can apply some pressure on Sam Darnold and collapse the pocket, especially with Nick Bosa being sidelined for the time being with an injury. The 49ers don’t need him to have a huge game. All they need is for him to set the edge, make some tackles, and force Sam off his spot. That’ll be the difference in the game. All they truly need from Mykel is for him to be a physical presence.
Seahawks X-Factor: Byron Murphy II
I followed him during his college days at Texas and knew he’d be a serviceable pro. Byron was a key piece of the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning team last year and had a breakout season. He’s the interior defender who can create pressure up the middle from the inside, and he did that quite a bit in the Seahawks’ bounce-back win against the Chargers on Sunday. Not only is Byron stout against the pass, but he can also stop the run with the same energy. This is a Seattle defensive line that wants to control the line of scrimmage from the get-go. If Byron is able to collapse Purdy’s pocket, it will disrupt the 49ers’ timing without Seattle needing to manufacture pressure elsewhere.
Final Thoughts:
These two played three times last season, with the first matchup taking place in Week 1, and the 49ers won that game. To close out the season in Week 18 last year, the Seahawks met the 49ers with the NFC West division title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs on the line, and Seattle dominated that game from start to finish. Weeks after the regular-season finale, they met in the divisional round of the playoffs, and Seattle made quick work of the 49ers and sent them to Cabo for the offseason. These have been the two best teams in the division, and honestly, the 49ers have been the best team I’ve seen through four weeks so far. This will hands down be the toughest defense San Francisco has seen so far this year, and I’ll be watching this offensive line of the Niners to see how they keep Brock protected. The 49ers must neutralize Murphy from collapsing the pocket. If they can do that, Brock will have opportunities to attack downfield and attack the Seahawks’ secondary without forcing throws to their playmakers. Most importantly, they need to establish Christian McCaffrey early and force Seattle to bring more men into the box to respect the run. Seattle must make Purdy uncomfortable! His jersey has been too clean for my liking, and he’s had forever and a day to throw the ball. Throw him off his spot, pressure him up the middle — exactly why Byron is my X-factor — force third-and-long, make him hold the ball longer than he wants, and prevent the 49ers from living off play-action and quick throws. Don’t give the Niners extra possessions. Seattle had its share of penalties against the Chargers that hurt them at times, and the final key is to continue to feed JSN the ball. I’m not saying force the ball to him, but use his presence to manipulate San Francisco’s coverage. These battles never disappoint, and I’m hoping we get another tight battle between these two.
