Seahawks 2020 Opponent Breakdown: 49ers
Though the process was delayed a bit compared to a normal year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the NFL finally released official 2020 schedules last month.
Set to travel more miles than any other team this season, the Seahawks will play out of conference games against the AFC East, non-divisional games against the NFC East, and six divisional games. In addition, they'll face two non-common opponents from the NFC North and NFC South.
Preparing for the new campaign, we will be dissecting each of Seattle's upcoming opponents over the next several weeks. Facing an NFC West adversary for a second straight week, this time at CenturyLink Field, the team will close out the first half of the season with its first marquee matchup against San Francisco.
San Francisco 49ers
2019 Record: 13-3, First in NFC West
Last Meeting with Seahawks: 26-21 win in 2019
Seattle and San Francisco participated in two instant classics last season, including a Week 17 NFC West title game that was decided by mere inches in the closing moments. Much like the first matchup in Week 10, Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers raced out to a 13-0 lead early, but with Russell Wilson serving as the catalyst, the Seahawks fought back valiantly in the second half to trim the deficit to five points and had a chance to win the game. A fourth-down pass from Wilson to tight end Jacob Hollister came up just short of the goal line, allowing San Francisco to escape CenturyLink Field with the win and a division title.
Season in Review: Rebounding from a four-win season in 2018, the return of a healthy Garoppolo coupled with a suffocating defense allowed the 49ers to race out to an 8-0 start before the Seahawks ended their perfect season in Week 10. Aside from a couple last-second defeats to the Ravens and Falcons, coach Kyle Shanahan's team remained unblemished in the second half, finishing with a 13-3 record and earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Taking advantage of a bye week and playing at home, San Francisco easily handled Minnesota and Green Bay to advance to the Super Bowl, where Kansas City scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to steal away the Lombardi Trophy in Miami.
Key Additions: LT Trent Williams, WR Travis Benjamin, DE Kerry Hyder
Up against the salary cap, San Francisco didn't make much noise in free agency, signing Benjamin and Hyder to one-year "prove it" deals as depth signings. Both players will be fighting simply to make the 53-man roster. But general manager John Lynch made a big splash on draft weekend, trading a 2020 fifth-round pick and a future third-round pick to Washington for perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams. After sitting out last season, he will take over as the new blind side protector for Garoppolo, providing a likely upgrade over retiring former starter Joe Staley.
Key Departures: LT Joe Staley, WR Emmanuel Sanders, DT DeForest Buckner
Putting a bow on an outstanding 13-year career, Staley announced his retirement during draft weekend, paving the way for the 49ers to trade for Williams. After being acquired from the Broncos at the trade deadline last October, Sanders proved to be too expensive to re-sign and bolted for the Saints in free agency. Understanding the organization would not be able to give him a lucrative extension, Lynch wisely dealt Buckner to the Colts for a first-round draft pick.
Notable 2020 Draft Picks: WR Brandon Aiyuk, DT Javon Kinlaw
San Francisco entered the draft with two first-round picks and turned the two selections into a play making receiver in Aiyuk and a viable replacement for Buckner in Kinlaw. The athletic Kinlaw needs some refinement to his game from a technical standpoint, but joining a defensive line featuring Arik Armstead and Nick Bosa, he should be able to wreak havoc right away. As for Aiyuk, the former high school running back offers many of the same tools as new teammate Deebo Samuel, giving coach Kyle Shanahan another receiver who can create yards in bunches after the catch and also has the ability to stretch defenses vertically.
Prognosis: Teams that lose the Super Bowl typically have a difficult time bouncing back the next year, but the 49ers made several quality moves to reinforce their roster for another title push in 2020. Even after losing Buckner and Staley, Lynch immediately went out and found worthy replacements in Kinlaw and Williams and most of last year's team will be back. While the NFC West will be a gauntlet and six challenging interdivision games await, playing against the AFC East and NFC East should keep the overall schedule manageable for the defending conference champions. If Garoppolo takes another step forward and the defense remains elite, San Francisco should be the favorite to capture a division crown once again and provide two of Seattle's toughest games on the slate.
