The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers rivalry has by no means wanted further gas, however because the Divisional Round arrives, this matchup feels totally different — not due to the previous, however due to every thing each groups have navigated to get right here.
Seattle enters the postseason enjoying its greatest soccer of the yr. The offense has discovered stability, the run sport has turn out to be a real tone-setter, and the protection — now embracing the “Dark Side” id — has tightened up when it issues most. Over the ultimate stretch of the season, the Seahawks stopped chasing expectations and began imposing their will, significantly in high-leverage moments late in video games.
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San Francisco’s path, nonetheless, has been far much less easy. The 49ers arrive in January after battling by one of many extra injury-plagued seasons of any NFC contender. Key contributors missed time, rotations have been continually reshuffled, and the margin for error narrowed week by week. Yet regardless of the attrition, San Francisco survived, leaned on its system, and located a approach into the postseason — a testomony to each roster depth and organizational perception. That actuality provides one other layer to this matchup: a Seahawks workforce gaining momentum versus a 49ers workforce hardened by adversity.
That pressure units the stage for this week’s Eye on the Prey preview on the Hawks Eye Podcast.
I’m joined dwell by Niners Nation’s Jason Aponte, one of the revered voices protecting San Francisco and the host of the Sprint Right Option Podcast. Together, we dig into the place this rivalry stands proper now — not by scorching takes, however by sincere soccer dialog.
We mentioned quarterback belief underneath playoff strain, how Seattle’s run sport has modified the mathematics in latest weeks, and the way the Dark Side protection has compelled opponents to earn each yard. From the 49ers’ facet, Jason will present perception into how an injury-tested roster has tailored, the place San Francisco nonetheless believes it has an edge, and which strain factors might decide this sport. Here’s a snippet of what was mentioned.
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Who might step up in George Kittle’s absence?
Aponte: “They were lining up Kyle Juszczyk this season way more in-line as a tight end. There’s ways to sneak him out from the backfield, and he has to stay on the field every single play for run blocking. There’s ways I think that Kyle Shanahan is going to use him to leak him out either in-line or maybe through the C-gap, and he’s just going to be somebody who’s going to be the other underneath guy.
“When they need an explosive play, of they’re down and their backs are against the wall—I do think Seattle’s going to punch first and they’re going to make the 49ers punch back, I think it’s going to be Kyle Juszczyk that’s going to be the one.
“Whatever his over/under is, take the over in this one. I think Kyle Juszczyk is going to be far more involved in the passing game just based on the fact that I think the 49ers won’t be able to run the ball, similar to Week 18. I do think that Kyle Shanahan is going to find a way to generate explosive plays through him. It sounds crazy; he’s a fullback, but I just have a feeling that everything is going to be in the toolbox and everything is going to have to be at the disposal.”
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What occurs if Ricky Pearsall doesn’t play once more?
Aponte: “If he doesn’t play in this game, and you’re relying again on Demarcus Robinson and Jauan Jennings to try to gain explosives when [Seattle’s] defense is so fast… your light box percentage is the [highest] in the NFL. And you know why? Because you can stop the run in nickel, you can stop the run from everywhere. Your defense is so fast—they can get back, they can get down. If you don’t have anyone that is even threatening further down the field, then all it does is condense the field, make windows tighter, make you play faster, and it plays all into Mike Macdonald’s hands.”
The present will additionally characteristic our 2-Minute Drill and dwell viewer Q&A, giving followers an opportunity to problem narratives from each side of the rivalry.
Be certain to subscribe to the Hawks Eye Podcast, and proceed following our written Seahawks evaluation right here at Field Gulls all through the postseason.
January soccer isn’t about perfection.
It’s about who survives — and who finishes.