Can the 49ers overcome some injuries to get the victory in a divisional matchup?
The San Francisco 49ers are set to take on the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon, looking to extend their recent winning streak and get a significant win in the division at a crucial part of their season.
The 49ers are coming off a 23-20 walk-off victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where kicker Jake Moody overcame a whopping three misses to hit the game-winner, improving San Francisco to 5-4 on the season.
Now, they face a Seattle team that has slid recently, losing three of their last four games, making this equally as important a matchup for them as they hit the road for an afternoon contest at Levi’s Stadium.
What’s the formula to success for the 49ers against Seattle on Sunday?
Stopping DK Metcalf
The Seahawks return star receiver D.K. Metcalf to the fold on Sunday after the wide receiver missed some time with a knee sprain, which will be significant as the 49ers will be without top cornerback Charvarius Ward yet again due to personal reasons.
Over the last three years, the 49ers have needed to battle against Metcalf, who is one of the top receivers in the league and can be such a difficult matchup to defend, given his unique physical skills. San Francisco has combat that by allowing Ward to trail the top receiver at times, but that evidently won’t be the case on Sunday.
Seattle wants to throw the ball. They do so at a 64.9 percent clip, good for third-best in the NFL. Sure, game script and other factors play a role in that, but the fact of the matter is that offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has looked to open up the passing game to involve each of the team’s top three wideouts heavily.
Metcalf hasn’t really seen the level of success he’s used to when facing the 49ers. Earlier this year, he had just three catches for 48 yards on 11 targets, while being responsible for a crucial Renardo Green interception late with a poor route.
In 2023? Not much better. Metcalf had three catches for 32 yards on nine targets in the first game, a 31-13 defeat, and then two catches for 52 yards and a score in the second game, a 28-16 defeat.
It will be a different challenge without Ward, with other top corners Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green likely needing to step up to a higher degree. But, stopping Metcalf is a must on Sunday.
Re-invigorate CMC
The 49ers returned Christian McCaffrey to the fold last weekend and got mixed results, as the star rushed for just 39 yards on 13 carries, but caught six passes for 68 yards, getting a good amount after the catch in a productive day.
Well, it feels like this weekend could be the breakout weekend for McCaffrey, as San Francisco faces a reeling Seattle defense that ranks 26th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (139.4) and yards per carry (4.8).
The 49ers could look to keep McCaffrey fresh with rotations once again, but this one feels like it’s going to be the CMC game, especially if George Kittle doesn’t suit up as expected.
Back in Week 6, the 49ers had success on the ground with both Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo, with the former doing well prior to a shoulder injury in the first half, while the latter went for a 76-yard run to seal the deal near the end of the game.
Now, they should benefit from McCaffrey being in the backfield, as the star running back looks to make it five straight games with at least 100 rushing yards against Seattle. Here are CMC’s stat lines against the Seahawks while with the 49ers:
12/15/2022: 26 carries, 108 rushing yards, 1 TD, 6 catches, 30 receiving yards
1/14/2023: 14 carries, 119 rushing yards, 2 catches, 17 receiving yards, 1 TD
11/23/2023: 19 carries, 114 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 5 catches, 25 yards
12/10/2023: 16 carries, 145 rushing yards, 1 catch, 8 receiving yards
Yes, it’s a different Seattle defense out there on Sunday under new head coach Mike MacDonald, but McCaffrey will look to have a similar impact for the 49ers nonetheless.
Feed Ricky?
Every week, it seems like first-round rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has continued to become a bigger part of the game plan.
Well, his biggest opportunity could come on Sunday, as the 49ers are expected to be without tight end George Kittle, who was limited in practice on Friday.
Kittle has been the team’s leading receiver this year in every statistical category, serving both as an explosive play machine between the 20s and a reliable red zone threat inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Without him, the 49ers are going to need to spread the ball around more, and that’s where Pearsall comes in.
The 49ers rookie caught four passes for 73 yards and his first career touchdown against the Buccaneers last Sunday. His first pass went for a 46-yard catch-and-run, leading to a score as he was able to get a significant amount of yards after the catch. The targets continued after that, but Pearsall saw his impact especially felt on San Francisco’s final drive, catching two key passes that helped set the team up in field goal range.
Playing a good portion of snaps and slowly developing his connection with quarterback Brock Purdy, Pearsall could be the go-to guy on Sunday in his biggest opportunity yet.