Niners Nation
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?
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.
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...
