5 Matchups to Watch as Seahawks Face 49ers in Week 17 Finale
Though a playoff spot and NFC West crown have already been secured, the Seahawks still have much left to play for heading into their season finale against the 49ers in Glendale, Arizona.
With a victory and a loss by either the Packers or Saints, the Seahawks would jump to the No. 2 seed in the conference, setting up a Wild Card game with the No. 7 seed at Lumen Field next weekend. If Green Bay and New Orleans somehow both lose on Sunday and Seattle improves to 12-4, the team would vault to the No. 1 spot and earn a first-round bye.
Diving into Seattle's upcoming rematch against San Francisco, here's a look at five key matchups to watch at State Farm Stadium:
--Seahawks safety Jamal Adams versus 49ers tight end George Kittle: When Seattle sent two first-round picks and a third-round pick to the New York Jets to acquire Adams, they had this matchup in mind pitting the All-Pro safety against one of the NFL's best tight ends in Kittle. Since Adams didn't play back in Week 8, this will be the first time the two stars have faced each other in their NFL careers. Making his return from injured reserve last week, Kittle starred with 92 receiving yards on just four receptions for San Francisco. On the flip side, Adams had a strong game against another quality tight end in Tyler Higbee, deflecting a pass on a deep seam route and allowing just 12 yards on four receptions in coverage. Get your popcorn ready, as these two juggernauts going against one another should be quite the treat.
--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett versus 49ers cornerbacks Jason Verrett, Akhello Witherspoon, and Emmanuel Moseley: Back in Week 8, Metcalf had a field day working against Moseley, catching seven passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns on 10 total targets. Lockett was a relative non-factor in the game with just four receptions for 33 yards, though he did pick up three first downs with those opportunities. As poorly as the 49ers defense played, per Pro Football Focus, Verrett only gave up four receptions for 25 yards and though he has a major size disadvantage, the team might try to use him more on Metcalf this go around. It's also possible Witherspoon, who had an interception against the Cardinals last weekend, will get another crack at him after giving up a touchdown and 47 receiving yards to Metcalf in Week 17 last year.
--Seahawks linebackers Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, and K.J. Wright versus 49ers running backs Jeff Wilson Jr., Tevin Coleman, Jerrick McKinnon, and Kyle Juszczyk: It doesn't seem to matter who is available for Kyle Shanahan out of the backfield. A local ice cream truck driver could probably be signed and rush for 100 yards in his scheme and Wilson Jr. became the latest to shine running the rock for the 49ers with 183 rushing yards against the Cardinals last weekend. San Francisco does an outstanding job using pre-snap motion to create extra gaps to defend, so discipline will be critical for Wagner, Brooks, and Wright in regard to run fits. Given the 49ers injuries at receiver and quarterback, the trio also needs to be cognizant of the 49ers reliance on dump off passes to running backs behind the line of scrimmage as well as Juszczyk, who has four receiving touchdowns in the past four games and can also be a threat on wheel routes from the backfield. Tackling at the catch point will be key in setting up difficult second and third long situations for an offense lacking explosive playmakers.
--Seahawks tackles Duane Brown and Cedric Ogbuehi versus 49ers defensive ends Arik Armstead and Kerry Hyder Jr.: Though the 49ers lost two of their best defensive ends early in the year in Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas, their pass rush has stayed effective in large part due to Hyder's re-birth. After recording only 2.0 sacks in his prior two seasons, the 29-year old veteran leads the team with 8.5 sacks and 18 quarterback hits. Armstead's sack production has dipped, but he still remains a force off the edge as well as reduced inside on passing downs, as he has 12 quarterback hits and holds the fourth-highest run stop rate per ESPN. Adding in former Seahawks defensive end Dion Jordan, who has 3.0 sacks, the 49ers have enough talent off the edge to still pose a threat for Brown and Ogbuehi, who will be making his third straight start in place of Brandon Shell. Keeping Russell Wilson clean will be imperative to be able to take advantage of matchups on the outside.
--Seahawks defensive ends Carlos Dunlap, Benson Mayowa, and Alton Robinson versus 49ers tackles Justin Skule and Mike McGlinchey: On the flip side, the 49ers should be concerned about protecting third-string quarterback C.J. Beathard against a motivated Seahawks front line. Standout left tackle Trent Williams is on injured reserve and won't suit up in the season finale, while his replacement Skule has missed practice time this week and isn't close to 100 percent. Per Pro Football Focus, starting right tackle Mike McGlinchey has allowed five sacks and 35 quarterback pressures, struggling to protect whoever is under center for San Francisco. This should be a day where Seattle's revived pass rush led by Dunlap and Mayowa continues to wreak havoc off the edge, generating pressure on Beathard early and often to force rushed throws and open the floodgates for turnovers.
