Russell Wilson can be a difficult player to stop. The Arizona Cardinals managed to do it on Sunday night, holding the Seattle Seahawks quarterback to just 169 passing yards and two rushing yards.
On Sunday night, it will be the San Francisco 49ers' turn to make sure the Seahawks' signal-caller doesn't take control of a game, as he often can.
Linebacker Fred Warner joined KNBR on Tuesday morning and discussed what makes facing Wilson so challenging.
"Russell is an outstanding quarterback," Warner said. "He's the leader of that team, that offense, and he gets things running on that side of the ball. I think he's most dangerous when he's getting outside of the pocket. I feel his ability to move is one of the best in the league, and that's probably the biggest threat to defenses he presents, and something we've got to account for when we prepare for this team."
Sunday's game will have a significant impact on the NFC playoff picture. Win, and the 49ers gain home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Lose, and the Seahawks win the NFC West and force San Francisco to start its postseason run on the road.
Still, as has been the case for the previous 15 games, Sunday's matchup is just another opponent in the way of the ultimate goal.
"It's cliché, but every week is a big week," Warner continued. "I think, obviously, this holds a lot of weight, but if you focus too much on the gravity of the game, I feel like that's going to overwhelm you. This week is not going to be anything different in terms of preparation.
"I think the level of focus that everybody needs to have, and being delivered in every single rep you take, every single clip you watch on film, that needs to go to a whole other level. But that's not saying just do something completely different. That's just making sure you're doing what you're doing to the best of your ability."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Warner below.