The week seven slate starts off with what should be a fun game in the NFC West between two teams that are 4-2, and coming in off completely different games just a few days ago.
The Niners were pounded at home by the Giants, a game many felt they would win coming in thinking revenge off last seasons NFC Title game. Instead, they were awful and are looking to bounce back.
The Hawks were down big in the fourth quarter, and rallied behind rookie QB Russell Wilson, scoring a couple late TD’s to beat the Patriots 24-23 to get to two games over .500.
The 49ers next three games are all against those division foes, making this stretch maybe the biggest of the season as they start vs a Seattle team with a solid defense, matching that of the Niners.
“You’ve got to dust yourself off and ride,” said 49ers coach John Harbaugh, whose team managed 314 yards after amassing 621 in a 45-3 win over Buffalo one week earlier. “Right now we have no choice. We have to get to Seattle right quick. We’ve got a football fight coming.”
Despite Sunday’s performance, San Francisco has the NFL’s top-ranked defense at 275.8 yards allowed per game. The Seahawks dropped from the top spot to fourth (294.7) after giving up a season-high 475 yards to the Patriots.
The 49ers, trying to avoid consecutive losses for the first time since Dec. 16-26, 2010, will go for a fourth straight victory in the series and fourth in a row at home against the Seahawks. San Francisco has outscored Seattle 96-48 during the three-game home winning streak.
Seattle totaled a season-high 368 yards last week and Wilson went 16 of 27 for 293 yards, throwing two of his three touchdowns in the final 7:31. He connected with Sydney Rice for the 46-yard winner with 1:18 to play.
“When it counted most we played our best,” Pete Carroll said. “I’m really fired up that we finished so well against a really, really good football team.”
Marshawn Lynch will need to have a better week than last week vs the Niners. He was held to a season-low 41 yards on 15 carries Sunday, Lynch has gained 62 on 23 rushes in two games at San Francisco.
The Seahawks rank second in the NFL with 70.0 rushing yards allowed per contest and held San Francisco’s Frank Gore to 59 on 22 carries in a 33-17 loss Sept. 11, 2011, at Candlestick.
Gore, who has topped the 200-yard rushing mark twice versus Seattle at home in his career, was held to a season-low 36 yards on eight carries Sunday.
Gore and Smith likely won’t have All-Pro left tackle Joe Staley available to help Thursday due to a concussion suffered against New York.
It’s going to be a fight to the end, but the Niners are still the better team, and the Hawks haven’t played well on the road, and that will continue here.
San Francisco 20 Seattle 13