The San Francisco 49ers are home at Levi's Stadium to take on the division-leading Seattle Seahawks at 1:05 PM PST. The 49ers lost to the Bears in Week 1, and they're looking to bounce back against the Seattle Seahawks. So here are my five keys to victory:
ESTABLISH The Run
The Seahawks are ranked 15th in stopping the run. They gave up 103 rushing yards to the Denver Broncos. The 49ers are ranked eighth in rushing the ball. They rushed for 176 yards against the Chicago defense. While Elijah Mitchell is injured, the 49ers have many running backs to get the job. Expect the 49ers to rush by committee. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he would go with the hot hand, so we must wait and see. Expect quarterback Trey Lance to have more or less designed runs in this matchup.
CAPITALIZE on Opportunities
Against Chicago, the 49ers had numerous missed opportunities to score touchdowns. Whether it was the fumble by wide receiver Deebo Samuel, the overthrow to tight end Tyler Kroft, or the goal-line stance, the 49ers must capitalize on their opportunities by scoring touchdowns, especially in the red zone. If the 49ers fail to capitalize on scoring opportunities, they can find themselves in the same predicament, and they don't want to let a shark-style coach like Pete Carroll linger around.
Do Not Give up the "BIG PLAY"
In week one, the 49ers' defense got caught napping on one play, which changed the game's momentum. The 49ers need to keep everything in front of them. The Seahawks have three great pass catchers with great speed that can beat most defenses deep. Wide receiver Tyler Lockett was held to 28 yards on three catches. Wide receiver DK Metcalf caught seven passes for 36 yards, and wideout Marquise Goodwin caught two for 22 yards. Keep Seattle's receivers on LOCK! Also, DO NOT let running back Travis Homer or anyone else on special teams score a touchdown. ELIMINATE all big plays.
Be DISCIPLINED
The 49ers had 12 penalties for 99 yards. That's almost the length of a football field. One more yard equals 100 yards, which results in a TOUCHDOWN! Mistakes are going to happen, and penalties will get called. Eliminate self-inflicting errors such as roughing the passer and face masking. Penalties like those two can swing the momentum of the game. If the 49ers had fewer penalties against the Bears, they could be 1-0. The Seahawks had only one penalty against the Broncos. The 49ers must find a way to outsmart Seattle.
SUSTAIN the RUN
The 49ers rushed for 176 yards against the Bears on 37 attempts and still lost 19-10. Usually, 35-plus attempts are the MAGIC number for Kyle Shanahan's offense, resulting in victories. The 49ers must continue to run the ball; as expressed earlier, they have numerous ways of doing so. Going with the fresh legs of rookie running backs Ty Davis-Price or Jordan Mason to complement Jeff Wilson Jr. could be a critical factor in their matchup against the Seahawks. Per ESPN, the Seahawks are ranked 15th on run defense, giving up 103 yards on the ground to the Denver Broncos. Broncos running backs Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon rushed for a combined 101 yards against Seattle in Week 1. The 49ers will use a committee of running backs that must continue to sustain drives by SUSTAINING the run!
I know these keys to victory may sound easier said than done, but the 49ers have the team built to get it done. The offense needs to score points, and the defense needs to prevent the opposing team from scoring. I believe if the 49ers focus on these five elements of their game, they will improve their record to 1-1 and move to first place in the NFC West.