Seattle Seahawk veteran should have a big game tonight based on this one telling stat

The San Francisco 49ers have really struggled defensively in one particular category this season, and that should set up a monster day for this Seahawk.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22). | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers have not had a stellar season in general on the defensive side of the ball. Going into tonight’s pivotal matchup, they’re currently 13th in the league in scoring allowed and 24th in defensive EPA per play. They do just enough to enable their offense to win games, but a bevy of injuries has clearly taken a grave toll on their ability to actually stop other teams.

But according to DVOA, there is one particular category where the 49ers are dead last defensively. As of right now, the 49ers rank 32nd against WR2s, allowing a lot of big plays and high production to secondary wide receivers. It might be the biggest weakness the 49ers defense has other than their lack of pass rush, and it provides a clear opening to attack.

Last week’s 49ers game provided a good microcosm of this achilles heel. The Chicago Bears were unable to get much of anything going to their top receiver DJ Moore, who had just one catch for seven yards on four targets. With Rome Odunze out, however, rookie Luther Burden starred as the second receiver, with eight catches for 138 yards and a touchdown.

Peel it back further to earlier games, and you can find other compelling examples. Davante Adams led the Rams in receiving yards in both games against the 49ers this year. Darius Slayton outproduced Wan’Dale Robinson when the Giants played San Francisco. It’s been a pretty clear trend, and one that should be taken seriously this week.

There is some debate over who constitutes the #2 wide receiver on the Seahawks right now. Cooper Kupp plays more snaps, and typically has more production from game-to-game, but there’s little doubt that Rashid Shaheed is a more dangerous threat with his speed, and at this point in their respective careers is the player that I suspect opposing defenses fear more.

Shaheed, who suffered a concussion last week against the Carolina Panthers, was able to make his way through the necessary protocol to get in almost a full week’s worth of practice and be cleared to play. This game is an excellent opportunity for him to secure his place in Seattle for the long term, and attempt to carve out an even larger contract extension in the offseason.

While I do believe Kupp has a notable role to play tonight, I believe Shaheed is going to be the real threat alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and will be the one who stands to benefit the most from San Francisco’s struggles to defend the secondary wide receiver option. Look for him to bust some big plays tonight, perhaps even making the difference in the game.

It’s an interesting challenge for Seattle, who have leaned on their primary receiver more than any other team in the league this season. Jaxon Smith-Njigba posted big numbers earlier this season against San Francisco as well. But this stark statistic indicates that there’s a weakness that Seattle needs to exploit to secure a victory.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) runs after making a catch. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

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