'Very Dangerous': 49ers QB Trey Lance a 'Major Concern' vs. Seahawks?
The Seattle Seahawks are riding high off the emotions of Monday night's 17-16 home win over the Denver Broncos and longtime Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson.
Now, NFC West division play is quickly upon the team, which will face a tough road test against the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday.
The Seattle defense held Denver to fewer points and offensive production than many might've expected while also leaving no room for the mobility of a talented scrambler like Wilson, who had just one carry for two yards.
But now the challenge of facing one of the league's rising dual-threat quarterbacks looms large over the team, as second-year signal-caller Trey Lance preps for just his fourth-career start on Sunday after being the No. 3 overall pick in last year's draft.
Lance had some major highs and lows during sporadic playing time as a rookie in 2021, but was officially named the starter over Jimmy Garoppolo headed into this season.
The lows continued on Sunday, as Lance and the Niners offense came to a standstill in the second half of a rain-filled 19-10 loss to the Chicago Bears. He went 13 of 28 passing for 164 yards and an interception while rushing 13 times for 54 yards.
But Seahawks coach Pete Carroll knows what he's seen from Lance and didn't hesitate to point out that he could be a problem for Seattle's defense.
"That's a major concern," Carroll said Wednesday. "We understand this guy and respect him at this point and we know that he's very dangerous and makes a lot of guys effective in the game because he's such a threat, so we have to deal with that."
Though he didn't get start, the Seahawks got a first-hand taste at what Lance could do in Week 4 of last season. Seattle won 28-21, but Lance went 9 of 18 passing for 157 yards and two touchdowns while rushing seven times for 41 yards.
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan has been know to incorporate a downhill run-first offense and won't hesitate to use the premium that Lance provides. Against the Arizona Cardinals last season, Lance put up starting running back-like numbers with 16 carries for 89 yards.
"We've seen him quite a bit now," Carroll said. "He's a very versatile athlete, they know what they got. He ran the ball 13 times (against the Bears), so they're using him ... He's really effective at getting the ball down the field he's had big play all throughout his time playing."
The advantage the Seahawks could have over Lance is his inexperience. Even without injured starting safety Jamal Adams, Seattle defensive backs like Quandre Diggs, Mike Jackson, and Josh Jones could capitalize on a bad throw from Lance, who is still developing as an NFL passer.
The Seahawks have all the momentum headed into Sunday, but a disappointed Niners team is likely to angry and motivated after the loss to the Bears.
We'll see what gives first when the two teams kickoff at 1:05 p.m. P.T. at Levi's Stadium.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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