Key Factors to Watch in 49ers vs. Seahawks

The 49ers get their chance to silence their critics as they face the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. What does this team need to do to get to 3-3?

Dec 10, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) grabs the face mask of San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) after the end of play in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The 49ers are heading into a crucial matchup against their division rival Seattle Seahawks. After losing to the Cardinals and the Rams, this game is a must win for the Red and Gold. So what do the Niners need to do in order to win this game?

1. Pressuring Geno Smith

Geno Smith has been putting on a quality showing to begin the 2024 season. Through five weeks Geno is leading the league in passing yards and is top 5 in completion percentage. Anytime he has a clean pocket he looks amazing. There's the key, when he has a clean pocket. Geno becomes a completely different quarterback when he's under pressure. While in a clean pocket, Geno has a passer rating of 108.1. That's even better than Brock Purdy at 99, but once he's pressured, it drops to 54.4. When Geno gets pressured, their passing game stalls entirely. With guys like Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd coming off the edge, it almost feels inevitable that Geno is going to get pressured constantly, and the stats agree. As long as they don't let up on the gas pedal, I don't see how Geno can have a solid performance.

2. 49ers Stopping the Run

In the case that the pass game stalls, the Niners are going to need to stop Kenneth Walker III. That guy is an absolute weapon, in three games played this season Walker has a YPA of 5.5 with 200 Rushing Yards and 4 TDs. In his limited games, he has the highest Rushing Grade at 91.9 according to PFF. He has the highest breakaway percentage amongst RBs with a minimum of 35 attempts. I could keep going on and on about this for hours. The point is he's a big piece of Seattle's offense, and if you stop him it requires a lot more than the defensive line closing gaps. The Linebackers need to be ready to clog holes and more importantly, chase Walker when he runs outside. If you stop his big gains, this offense will be forced to pass and Nick Bosa can get to the QB.

3. No Dumb Turnovers

Yes, this is the only thing I have to say about this offense. As I was thinking over and over again about "what needs to be done" I began to stew, which turned to a boil quickly. That boil brought me to the biggest issue with this 49ers offense, I'm sick and tired of seeing a 49ers turnover while they're winning. And not some turnover where the defense makes a good play, I could accept that, but the ones that are purely incompetent courtesy of the 49ers. It has become a pattern this season, up 10 points in a game and an interception and/or fumble seals the comeback for the opposition. It isn't smart football, it isn't the 49ers I've seen. The time for that 49ers is over, and it's time for the smart and efficient throwing of Brock Purdy to take center stage. If this is supposed to be the must-win game the team is saying it is, I'd expect no dumb turnovers. Then again I haven't seen it this season.

4. Coaches to Adjust

I'd like to make a statement that some Shana-Heads or Shanahan zealots (shoutout to Tom Jensen) won't like. Coaching has lost more games than the players have. Yes, the players played the game, but I'd argue that the coach's lack of adjustments to new looks has been the downfall of this team. Listen to big leaders on the team like Nick Bosa talk about it, it doesn't seem like he's trying to hide it. For a team that is supposed to have two football geniuses in Shanahan and Staley, their performance this year has been terrible. It's been bad enough that their own players are letting their feelings about it known. And I don't even need to go into Sorensen who appears to think he's coaching the Legion of Boom. Whether it's offense or defense, it's been underperformance from the coaches. A win in this game can give them some breathing room to earn the trust back from their players and the fans, but a loss? That might seal some peoples fate.

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