Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers: Week 15 Preview

Last week, the Seahawks shut down the high-powered Philadelphia Eagles, beating them by a score of 24-14. This week, the Seahawks take on the crumbling San Francisco 49ers.

Last Week: Seattle Seahawks @ Philadelphia Eagles

Last Sunday, the Pete Carroll’s Seahawks visited Chip Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagles. This was a difficult match up to predict, as both teams have found their stride as of late. The Seattle defense shut down the high-octane Philadelphia offense, securing themselves a huge victory. With this victory, the Seahawks have knocked off two divisional foes, and one of the league’s best teams.

The M.V.P. of this game was Seattle’s defense. Philadelphia’s offense was held to 139 total yards, which is unheard of for Chip Kelly’s offense. The Philadelphia defense let Seattle QB Russell Wilson to have one of his better passing games of the year, allowing him to throw for 263 yards and two touchdowns. They also allowed him to rush for 48 yards and a touchdown. Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch rushed for 86 yards, and caught five passes for 27 yards and a touchdown. Seahawks backup RB Christine Michael also had a decent showing, rushing for 32 yards on 8 attempts. Seattle WR Doug Baldwin blew up for 97 yards receiving and a touchdown. Philly had an ugly day on offense, with TE Zach Ertz being their best receiver (39 yards, 1 TD). Eagles star running back LeSean McCoy hit the brick wall known as the Seattle rushing defense, and was only able to muster 50 rushing yards. As most would have predicted, QB Mark Sanchez had a tough day, with 96 passing yards and two touchdowns, along with an interception.

This Week: Seattle Seahawks (9-4) vs. San Francisco 49ers (7-6)

Game Day: December 14, 2014

Kickoff: 1:25 P.M. PST

TV: FOX

Passing Offense: Seahawks – 29th / 49ers – 27th
Rushing Offense: Seahawks – 1st / 49ers – 16th
Passing Defense: Seahawks – 1st / 49ers – 4th
Rushing Defense: Seahawks – 3rd / 49ers – 7th

This week, the Seahawks, for the second time this season, rekindle their legendary rivalry with the 49ers. While the Seahawks continue to surge, the 49ers are falling apart on a weekly basis. The Niners are a team that went to the Super Bowl two seasons ago. These days, the Niners’ struggles are one of the focal points of any sports talk show. There have been rumblings about the solidarity of the team since the beginning of the season, with most of them surrounding the coach. QB Colin Kaepernick has not looked like himself at all, and some are saying that defenses have figured Kaepernick out. The issue may be as simple as the fact that the Niners are neglecting the run, which was the focal point of their offense in prior seasons. With the talent pool that San Francisco has, they should not be struggling. As a result, Coach Harbaugh is not likely to return to San Francisco next season. Fortunately for ‘Hawks fans, that just means that the Seahawks have no one to compete with for the Cardinals’ divisional lead – which is becoming smaller by the week.

Their first meeting of the season was uneventful, as Seattle scored one touchdown, and kicked four field goals – nothing to write home about. This meeting figures to go a similar way. Expect Seattle’s defense, once again, to be the difference maker – with Richard Sherman as the star of the show. Sherman had two interceptions in their last meeting. Although the 49ers are neglecting the run, Seattle will shut down whatever run San Francisco brings their way. Kaepernick would be wise not to try Richard Sherman’s side, but will find little success on any part of the field, as the Legion of Boom is as stingy as ever. Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch had 104 yards in their previous meeting, and can easily match that total in this game. San Francisco’s pass defense is still looking pretty air-tight, so don’t expect Russell to repeat his performance against the Eagles.

This should be another uneventful defensive battle of attrition, with the Seahawks besting the 49ers again.