Today, the San Francisco 49ers (7-6) will travel north to face their NFC West rival, the Seattle Seahawks (9-4) for the second time in 18 days. This time, they will meet up at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington.
The 49ers are coming off of a humiliating 24-13 road defeat at the hands of the Oakland Raiders. The Seahawks are coming off of a 24-14 road win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
In January, the Seahawks ended the 49ers' season at CenturyLink Field. They can do it once again be killing their very slim playoff hopes today. The 49ers are looking to stay alive in their hunt for a fourth consecutive postseason appearance with a big win in Seattle.
During their last meeting just weeks ago, Seattle had 379 total yards of offense at Levi's Stadium on Thanksgiving night compared to the 49ers' 164. That 19-3 loss prompted 49ers CEO to post an apology to fans on Twitter, adding fuel to the speculation that head coach Jim Harbaugh's days with San Francisco may be numbered. A loss a week later to the pitiful Raiders, in a game where the 49ers would manage only 248 total yards, would not help Harbaugh's cause.
In his regular Monday press conference, Harbaugh dodged questions about his future with the team, but it is widely believed that without a strong playoff push, his time with the 49ers would be over.
On Saturday, the 49ers announced that linebacker NaVorro Bowman and defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey would be headed for the injured reserve list, ending any hopes of getting them back on the field this season. The team has already lost linebacker Patrick Willis for the season and had a number of key injuries which has lowered their chances of a playoff run.
The Seahawks have done an exceptional job running the football while the 49ers have somewhat abandoned the run, which was believed to be the team's main strength heading into the season.
The Seattle defense has allowed only 12 pass plays of 25 yards or more -- an NFL-low. The 49ers have had no pass plays of 25 yards or more in their past two games. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has only three touchdowns against the Seahawks as a starter. He has nine interceptions, a passer rating of 50.6 and is 1-4 against Seattle.
In running back
Frank Gore's last three visits to Seattle, he has only 58 yards on 26 carries. Meanwhile, running back Marshawn Lynch has averaged more than 100 yards and scored eight touchdowns (six rushing and two through the air) for Seattle in the last seven meetings between these two rivals.
As usual, you can visit 49erswebzone.com for the latest news and updates during and after the game.
Quick Hits:
The 49ers are just 8-10 on the road against the Seahawks.
A win would split the regular season series with the Seahawks for the third straight season.
With a win, Jim Harbaugh would improve his all-time record against the NFC West to 15-7-1.
Linebacker Chris Borland had 7 tackles through week 6. Since then, he has had 94.
Offensive Rankings:
The 49ers rank 24th with 319.4 yards per game. The Seahawks rank 11th with 367.1 yards per game.
Defensive Rankings:
The 49ers rank 3rd, allowing 308.5 yards per game. The Seahawks rank 1st, allowing 274.5 yards per game.
Last Meeting:
The Seahawks beat the 49ers 19-3 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA on Thanksgiving night.
Kickoff:
The game kicks off at 1:25 PM PT.
Betting:
The Seahawks are 10 point favorites.
Fan Picks:
At Yahoo! Sports, 71% of fans believe that the Seahawks will win this game. Within our
Pick 'em contest, 68% of fans believe that the Seahawks will win this game - the largest margin for an opponent in the history of the contest.
Follow the Game:
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Social Media:
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Television:
The game will be televised on FOX. Check
506 Sports to see if the game will be played in your area.
The San Francisco 49ers started their two-day mandatory minicamp, holding the first practice on Tuesday. Reporters were allowed to observe the session, and there were several noteworthy takeaways.
QB competition? Not yet
Trey Lance and Sam Darnold are rotating first-team reps during practices. Tuesday was Darnold's turn. Wednesday will be Lance's opportunity.
First practice of minicamp is in the books. In 11-11s, I had …First-team QB Sam Darnold 4-7Second-team QB Trey Lance 6-9Third-team QB Brandon Allen 4-4— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows)
The 49ers ended their offseason workout program on Wednesday with their final session of mandatory minicamp. But before they made their way out the door for the summer, the team gave fans and reporters one last dose of info in the form of the final media sessions of the spring.
Among those speaking to reporters on Wednesday were defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, left tackle Trent Williams and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, as well as defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Each session produced some interesting tidbits, which we'll review in this version of 49ers notebook.
Hargrave speaks
Despite being the splash free agent addition of the offseason for the 49ers, Javon Hargrave had not met with the team's beat reporters in person before Wednesday.
Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus went through all 32 NFL teams and picked a reason for optimism for each heading into the 2023 season. For example, last season's five-win Denver Broncos got a new Super Bowl-winning head coach in Sean Payton. Kenny Pickett could be ready for a second-year leap with the Pittsburgh Steelers (Hopefully, not in Week 1, though).
What's the reason for optimism for the San Francisco 49ers? Sikkema admits that picking just one reason is challenging, so he went with the team's elite roster. San Francisco has stockpiled talented playmakers at almost every level.
"Yes, their quarterback situation is still up in the air," wrote Sikkema. "But
NFL Media personality Adam Rank recently published his "State of the 2023 San Francisco 49ers" feature for NFL.com, an annual look at the state of the franchise and projections for the upcoming season. Among those predictions are the team's most valuable player and breakout star.
Christian McCaffrey is the most obvious choice for MVP, and he's the guy Rank selected. The star running back was traded in late October to the 49ers and still contributed 1,210 total yards and 10 total touchdowns with his new team, totaling an impressive 1,880 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season.
Rank can't wait to see what McCaffrey does for an encore
