The 49ers and Seahawks haven’t played a very meaningful game since January 2014. Seattle dominated the matchups beginning with that NFC championship game. They went undefeated against the 49ers in nine games before San Francisco upset Seattle in overtime in Week 15 last season.
With San Francisco and Seattle set to rekindle their once-great rivalry, we got in touch with the incomparable Liz Mathews, the managing editor at the Seahawks Wire, and asked her three questions about Monday’s matchup.
Niners Wire: Is this the best offense the Seahawks have had under Pete Carroll?
Liz Mathews: This is certainly the best offense the Seahawks have fielded since their recent Super Bowls trips and absent Marshawn Lynch and Doug Baldwin on the roster. Carroll has found a way to surround Wilson — who is clearly having an MVP-caliber season — with new weapons and young players who are eager to step up. The health of the offensive line remains a concern, however.
NW: The Seahawks defense isn’t the dominant force it once was — is it still a Super Bowl-caliber unit?
LM: Seattle’s defense is definitely a work in progress, despite all the moves the Seahawks made this year to tighten up the defensive line and ramp up the pass-rushing efforts. Fans are still waiting for Ziggy Ansah and Jadeveon Clowney to truly come alive, and the secondary has had to adjust to a number of changes in the lineup. While certainly not comparable to the original LOB, this unit could eventually start to mesh.
NW: If you were writing a blueprint for beating Seattle, what would you put down?
LM: Any blueprint to beat Seattle MUST include a game plan to stop Wilson, who just continues to find ways to win ball games. If San Francisco can shut down Seattle’s rushing attack and effectively cover DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, the 49ers could run away with this one. The Seahawks’ defense, although shaky at times, now has everything to prove.
