'This is a Different Defense': Seahawks Roll into 49ers Game Amid Evolution

The Seattle Seahawks aren't the same team they were in Week 6, but neither are the San Francisco 49ers.

Oct 10, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) rushes with Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) in pursuit during the first quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers only played each other just over a month ago, but their second matchup of the season could look very different than the first.

Primarily, the Seahawks’ defense and Niners’ offense are not the same as they were. San Francisco has All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey back in the lineup, and Seattle has key changes at all three levels of its defense.

Seattle’s biggest shakeup is at inside linebacker, with both players who started there versus the Niners — Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker — now off the team. Ernest Jones IV, who was acquired via trade, and rookie fourth-round pick Tyrice Knight are now the team’s starters.

“It’s just growing together,” Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde said on Thursday. “It’s funny, Tyrice Knight just said the same thing to me as we were walking off the field. He was like, ‘This is a different defense than the one we played with when we played them last time.’ It is and that’s the league, it’s ever-revolving. People have got to be ready to go in and have to be prepared, they’ve got to be ready to play.”

Cornerback Josh Jobe, who was a practice squad addition by Seattle in late August, got his chance to play in Week 7 when Tre Brown sustained an injury. He’s now on the 53-man roster as the Seahawks’ third corner after maxing out his practice squad elevations.

Defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris was acquired via trade by the Seahawks as well in mid-October and has played at least 30 percent of the team’s snaps in the last three games.

But it works both ways. San Francisco began their Week 6 win over Seattle with Jordan Mason at running back — their second-stringer. They ended the game with Isaac Guerendo as their lead back following Mason’s injury, and the pair combined for 172 yards rushing yards on just 19 carries.

Even without McCaffrey, the Seahawks allowed a season-high 228 rushing yards against the Niners. Now he’s back after a long-awaited return from Achilles tendonitis, and the San Francisco offense is at full strength.

“This is a wide-zone team,” Durde said. “They’re going to push the ball to the perimeter, and they’ve got an excellent group of running backs that can make one cut, cut the defense in half and get vertical. Making our guys on the edge play with great edge presence and the ability to finish on the ball is ultra important.”

Niners quarterback Brock Purdy is also a problem. The former “Mr. Irrelevant” has become a legitimate top-end passer, and his maneuverability in the pocket is among the best in the NFL. In the Week 6 loss, the Seahawks posted a season-high pressure rate (90.3 percent) but didn’t sack Purdy once.

Even if the Seahawks’ pass rush can collapse the pocket, there’s no guarantee it’s going to result in a negative play for San Francisco’s offense. It may even spur a big play for the Niners when Purdy goes off-script.

“[Purdy is] a master at it. You watch the film, and you see him escape, and you kind of think, ‘How did he get out of that?’ You have to have the ability to rush as one [unit], understanding how each other plays while keeping rush integrity,” Durde added. “I feel like when you play movement quarterbacks, sometimes it can take the juice off of you because you’re thinking ‘I’ve got to contain this guy.’ It’s got to happen as you move forward and that’s what the guys are trying to do.”

Aug 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) gets ready for a play in the first quarter of the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. / Casey Gower-Imagn Images

The biggest wild card for Seattle on Sunday is the play of Knight, who will be thrust into the starting role next to Jones at weakside linebacker. With Dodson no longer in the building, Knight has a chance to cement himself as a full-time starter with the Seahawks moving forward.

“Night and day [difference],” Durde said of Knight’s growth since the season began. “It’s not just on the field, but him around the building, the confidence is growing. The way he communicates, the way he goes from the meeting room, takes the information and into a walkthrough. Just the growth, and that’s what you want to see from a rookie.”

The Seahawks need a win versus the Niners in a big way. Not only are they at risk of falling to 0-3 in NFC West games, but Seattle has not beaten San Francisco since Geno Smith became the team’s quarterback in 2022 — last beating the Niners on Dec. 5, 2021.

Seattle is a team in flux, especially with the recent announcement from the team that center Connor Williams is retiring at 27 years old. The offensive side of the ball will have its own adjustments to work through.

Kickoff for Seahawks vs. Niners is set for 1:05 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 17. Seattle is hoping to stay in the division race, while San Francisco is trying to close the gap on the first-place Arizona Cardinals.

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