Niners Nation
From DK Metcalf’s return to where Brock Purdy attacks Seattle’s secondary, we highlight what to watch in Week 11
Week 11’s matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks has lost its usual luster after injuries crippled both teams during the first half of the season. We’ll see the best versions of each team this Sunday.
Coming off the bye week, the Niners were as healthy as they’ve been in Week 10. The offense got back its WR1 and best skill player. Jauan Jennings and Christian McCaffrey combined for 200 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Star wide receiver DK Metcalf was a full participant this week in practice after missing the previous two games with a knee injury. Right tackle Abe Lucas has a “realistic expectation at this point” that he’ll make his season debut this Sunday. He practiced before the bye week. The former third-round pick out of Washington State in 2022 underwent knee surgery in January after an ongoing knee issue that caused him to miss much of the 2023 season.
Seattle will also have two different starting linebackers from the previous matchup against San Francisco. Their center, Connor Williams, hasn’t practiced this week due to personal reasons. Williams has since retired.
Seattle and head coach Mike Macdonald get to press the reset button off their bye. You send a message when you cut your leading tackler the week you return from the bye.
It lets your players know that everybody’s job is on the line. Nothing will if that doesn’t get an all-in effort and full buy-in from a locker room.
Macdonald gets a third look at the Niners in less than a calendar year. Instead of getting Shanahan on a short week this time, the Seahawks have a week to prepare.
The changes Macdonald’s making on defense—specifically at linebacker—led to the Baltimore Ravens’ second-half ascension a year ago. Former Rams turned Titans linebacker Ernest Jones takes over for Tyrel Dodson.
Roquan Smith ain’t walking through that door, but Macdonald found his protege. Get familiar with the name Tyrice Knight. He’s in a position similar to Dre Greenlaw, a Day 3 rookie. Knight and Greenlaw share plenty of qualities, from their size to physicality to speed. Long-term, Seattle made the correct decision to part ways with Dodson.
A first-year head coach who has been successful everywhere, he’s just made his first power move and is off a bye week on the road in a must-win game if his team wants to keep their slim divisional hopes alive. The Seahawks are 0-2 in the NFC West. The 49ers are 1-2 in the divsion. One game separates each team in the loss column. If there was ever a situation for the Seahawks to throw the kitchen sink at somebody, it’s this week against the Niners after you just lost five of your last six games.
Between Brock Purdy holding the...
