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In life, when you have the chance to land a knockout blow on a rival you have to land that punch otherwise you never quite know when it will come back to bite you. In Week 14 this season the Seahawks traveled to Candlestick Park on a high after thrashing the New Orleans Saints on MNF to virtually guarantee themselves the number one seed in the NFC. The 49ers were in a precarious situation. They had suffered two bruising defeats to the Panthers and the Saints before recovering to beat the awful Redskins and the wildly inconsistent Rams. With the Saints/Panthers guaranteed to take a wild card spot, the 49ers knew, with the Arizona Cardinals breathing down their necks, that they couldn't afford any more mistakes. The Seahawks could have really put a severe dent in the 49ers season. They didn't. The 49ers won 19-17. And the confidence gained from that victory has carried them on a roll.
The last team the Seahawks would have wanted to see in Seattle this weekend are the 49ers. Despite what any pro-Seahawks fan will tell you. They know this is not easy. They know they are facing a different 49ers to the one they have faced twice so far this season. After the divisional games last week I was asked to price up the opening lines for this week. I thought the Seahawks would be 3pt favs. And even then I would have been really interested in the 49ers. But to be a field goal and then a bit more favs is just the wrong spread imho. But in order to believe that you have to be convinced that things are different from week 2 and week 14. I am.
Let's go back to Week 2. Seattle cuffed the 49ers in Seattle 29-3. It was the second time in as many seasons that the 49ers had been badly beaten in Seattle. But people forget that the Seahawks only led 5-0 with nine minutes left in the 3rd quarter. It was mainly a 4th quarter collapse from the 49ers that they to the 29-3 defeat. THe 49ers turned the ball over five times during that game. The 49ers didn't have Michael Crabtree playing in the game. Anquan Boldin had ONE reception all night long. Unbelievable.
Fast forward to Week 14. I was very keen on the 49ers this day. I thought this was a must win game and they would deliver. I thought with Crabtree having his second game back he would make the difference. I watched the game. I didn't think the 49ers played that well yet they still won. But the sheer presence of Crabtree opened up the 49ers offense. Boldin caught six catches for 93 yards. Hard catches, mainly with Sherman draped all over him. Gore rushed for over 100 yards. Another thing that was significant from this game was how well the 49ers dealt with Russell Wilson. He ran once in the whole game. For only two yards. Wow.
And now we arrive at the NFC Championship game in Seattle. The 49ers, are without doubt, the form team in the NFL right now. They are that hot they are smoking. They are coming off the back of road wins in Arizona, Green Bay and Carolina. Now that is impressive. They went to the Number 2 ranked defense in Carolina last week and smacked them right in the chops. They played tough, uncompromising football. So much so that it was the Panthers who boiled over and lost the plot.
Even ardent Seahawks fans are worried about their offense. It has dipped in recent weeks. Marshawn Lynch is still excellent as ever. And is a danger. But Wilson has gone off the ball. And the x factor they hoped for in the play offs - Percy Harvin - misses this game. People reckon Pete Carroll's play calling has become so negative because of his worries over his offense.
When you look at both defenses, they are both very good but their weaknesses are polar opposites of each other. The seahawks have an excellent secondary and superb in coverage but suspect against the run. The 49ers are excellent against the run but suspect to the deep ball and speedy wide receivers..
The Saints rushed for over 100 yards last week against the Seahawks despite barely running the ball in the second half. In fact the Saints didn't have much trouble in running the ball. Arizona ran for over 100 yards when they won in Seattle recently. The Seahawks will have to stop Frank Gore. especially if this is a tight game or if the 49ers are in the lead as we will see a heavy dose of Frank Gore.
Percy Harvin is a big miss for the Seahawks as this 49ers secondary struggles with speedsters. Ted Ginn last week made them look slow. The 49ers did well in stopping Eddie Lacy's and James Starks' running game for Green Bay and they shut down the Panthers run game, but Aaron Rogers and Cam Newton did have joy throwing the ball deep.
And let's look at the receivers on offense. Who would you rather have? Golden Tate, Zac Miller and Doug Baldwin or Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree and Veron Davis? I think it's a no brainer.
The 49ers only ever rush four men. Very rarely do they blitz or even bring a fifth rusher in. This often - rightly - gets criticised as sometimes the QB gets way too much time in the pocket. But the one benefit it has is dealing with the threat of the Russell Wilson's of this world. It's not so easy for him to take off against the 49ers. The 49ers have very fast linebackers who close his space down in seconds. I think the 49ers will shut down Wilson's running lanes, try and shut down Lynch's beast-like runs and bait Wilson to beat them deep, in the air.
The key to a 49ers victory is off course Colin Kaepernick. I can't help but love this guy despite his obvious flaws. How tough is this guy? He just refuses to bend. I have a feeling he will really open up tonight. He has been very conservative this season with his running. In the two games he has played against the Seahawks, he has had green in front of him but has not really taken off. I think he will tonight. Plus he has all his weapons available to him.
I think the 49ers, like in Candlestick, will line Boldin up wide right all the time to go against Sherman. Boldin will smack Sherman right in the face. He will trash talk him. He will wind him up. And this will allow Crabtree to work against Maxwell - although is good - who is no Sherman. I fancy Crabtree to get the better of Maxwell.
Have the Seahawks peaked too soon? Possibly. Will the 49ers be fatigued with four road games in a row? Possibly. But on current form there is no way the Seahawks are a better team than the 49ers. No way on god's green earth, People can argue that home field advantage gives them 2.5pts on the spread - but 3.5? A team that has just won in Arizona, the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field and in Carolina are getting 3.5 on the spread? I'm sorry but that is huge. Absolutely enormous.
I'm confident that after this game the Sehawks will look back to Week 14 with massive regrets. They had the chance that day to inflict severe scars on the 49ers. They didn't take that chance. And tonight they will live to regret that.
The last team the Seahawks would have wanted to see in Seattle this weekend are the 49ers. Despite what any pro-Seahawks fan will tell you. They know this is not easy. They know they are facing a different 49ers to the one they have faced twice so far this season. After the divisional games last week I was asked to price up the opening lines for this week. I thought the Seahawks would be 3pt favs. And even then I would have been really interested in the 49ers. But to be a field goal and then a bit more favs is just the wrong spread imho. But in order to believe that you have to be convinced that things are different from week 2 and week 14. I am.
Let's go back to Week 2. Seattle cuffed the 49ers in Seattle 29-3. It was the second time in as many seasons that the 49ers had been badly beaten in Seattle. But people forget that the Seahawks only led 5-0 with nine minutes left in the 3rd quarter. It was mainly a 4th quarter collapse from the 49ers that they to the 29-3 defeat. THe 49ers turned the ball over five times during that game. The 49ers didn't have Michael Crabtree playing in the game. Anquan Boldin had ONE reception all night long. Unbelievable.
Fast forward to Week 14. I was very keen on the 49ers this day. I thought this was a must win game and they would deliver. I thought with Crabtree having his second game back he would make the difference. I watched the game. I didn't think the 49ers played that well yet they still won. But the sheer presence of Crabtree opened up the 49ers offense. Boldin caught six catches for 93 yards. Hard catches, mainly with Sherman draped all over him. Gore rushed for over 100 yards. Another thing that was significant from this game was how well the 49ers dealt with Russell Wilson. He ran once in the whole game. For only two yards. Wow.
And now we arrive at the NFC Championship game in Seattle. The 49ers, are without doubt, the form team in the NFL right now. They are that hot they are smoking. They are coming off the back of road wins in Arizona, Green Bay and Carolina. Now that is impressive. They went to the Number 2 ranked defense in Carolina last week and smacked them right in the chops. They played tough, uncompromising football. So much so that it was the Panthers who boiled over and lost the plot.
Even ardent Seahawks fans are worried about their offense. It has dipped in recent weeks. Marshawn Lynch is still excellent as ever. And is a danger. But Wilson has gone off the ball. And the x factor they hoped for in the play offs - Percy Harvin - misses this game. People reckon Pete Carroll's play calling has become so negative because of his worries over his offense.
When you look at both defenses, they are both very good but their weaknesses are polar opposites of each other. The seahawks have an excellent secondary and superb in coverage but suspect against the run. The 49ers are excellent against the run but suspect to the deep ball and speedy wide receivers..
The Saints rushed for over 100 yards last week against the Seahawks despite barely running the ball in the second half. In fact the Saints didn't have much trouble in running the ball. Arizona ran for over 100 yards when they won in Seattle recently. The Seahawks will have to stop Frank Gore. especially if this is a tight game or if the 49ers are in the lead as we will see a heavy dose of Frank Gore.
Percy Harvin is a big miss for the Seahawks as this 49ers secondary struggles with speedsters. Ted Ginn last week made them look slow. The 49ers did well in stopping Eddie Lacy's and James Starks' running game for Green Bay and they shut down the Panthers run game, but Aaron Rogers and Cam Newton did have joy throwing the ball deep.
And let's look at the receivers on offense. Who would you rather have? Golden Tate, Zac Miller and Doug Baldwin or Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree and Veron Davis? I think it's a no brainer.
The 49ers only ever rush four men. Very rarely do they blitz or even bring a fifth rusher in. This often - rightly - gets criticised as sometimes the QB gets way too much time in the pocket. But the one benefit it has is dealing with the threat of the Russell Wilson's of this world. It's not so easy for him to take off against the 49ers. The 49ers have very fast linebackers who close his space down in seconds. I think the 49ers will shut down Wilson's running lanes, try and shut down Lynch's beast-like runs and bait Wilson to beat them deep, in the air.
The key to a 49ers victory is off course Colin Kaepernick. I can't help but love this guy despite his obvious flaws. How tough is this guy? He just refuses to bend. I have a feeling he will really open up tonight. He has been very conservative this season with his running. In the two games he has played against the Seahawks, he has had green in front of him but has not really taken off. I think he will tonight. Plus he has all his weapons available to him.
I think the 49ers, like in Candlestick, will line Boldin up wide right all the time to go against Sherman. Boldin will smack Sherman right in the face. He will trash talk him. He will wind him up. And this will allow Crabtree to work against Maxwell - although is good - who is no Sherman. I fancy Crabtree to get the better of Maxwell.
Have the Seahawks peaked too soon? Possibly. Will the 49ers be fatigued with four road games in a row? Possibly. But on current form there is no way the Seahawks are a better team than the 49ers. No way on god's green earth, People can argue that home field advantage gives them 2.5pts on the spread - but 3.5? A team that has just won in Arizona, the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field and in Carolina are getting 3.5 on the spread? I'm sorry but that is huge. Absolutely enormous.
I'm confident that after this game the Sehawks will look back to Week 14 with massive regrets. They had the chance that day to inflict severe scars on the 49ers. They didn't take that chance. And tonight they will live to regret that.
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*forgot to put my bet up -= MASSIVE BET ON THE 49ers +3.5pts at 10-11
Nice write up Clay, for those who can't be bothered reading it all, I will summarise.
In week 14, in a must win game for 49ers, at home, they played against seattle who had nothing to play for. 49ers were at full strength in this game and Seattle didnt play well. 49ers fell over the line winning by 2pt due to a late field goal.
They now head for CenturyLink field where they have been manhandled for the last two year.
In week 14, in a must win game for 49ers, at home, they played against seattle who had nothing to play for. 49ers were at full strength in this game and Seattle didnt play well. 49ers fell over the line winning by 2pt due to a late field goal.
They now head for CenturyLink field where they have been manhandled for the last two year.
There's no point putting up analysis when your mind is already made up every time the Seahawks play. If your analysis was accurate they'd be 0-16.
swardeanfans dont think it will be easy Clay. I think you made up that part.
as far Boldin trash talking Sherman. Have you heard the mouth on Sherman?
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