When the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks clashed in Week 18 for the NFC’s No. 1 seed and home-field […]
When the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks clashed in Week 18 for the NFC’s No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, both teams expected they’d get a rubber match in the Divisional Round. That’s exactly what we’re getting this weekend, with a spot in the NFC Championship Game at stake.
Let’s dive into our 49ers vs Seahawks predictions for this Divisional Round matchup.
Christian McCaffrey Held Under 90 Scrimmage Yards
Back in Week 18, the 49ers’ offense managed to give Christian McCaffrey only 14 touches on 42 plays. The All-Pro running back finished with 57 scrimmage yards and averaged just 2.9 yards per carry, with his longest rush going for five yards. In the previous meeting in Week 1, he could not get anything going on the ground, averaging 3.1 yards per carry on 22 carries, but he did put up 73 receiving yards on nine receptions. With George Kittle out due to a torn Achilles, running the football figures to be an even more daunting challenge against a defense that allowed the lowest rushing success rate (35.8 percent) in the NFL during the regular season. McCaffrey might put up 50-plus receiving yards in the Divisional Round, but he will likely struggle to produce on the ground.
Related: NFL Defense Rankings after Divisional Round
Jake Tonges Puts up 50+ Yards and a Touchdown
With Kittle out, tight end Jake Tonges will step into a larger role in this 49ers offense. He put up 60 receiving yards and a touchdown in his last start (Week 17) when Kittle was sidelined and has eclipsed 50-plus receiving yards three times this season. With Seattle keyed in on containing McCaffrey, a defense that allowed the sixth-most receiving yards (1,080) in the regular season to tight ends could have some lapses in coverage against Tonges. The 6-foot-4 tight end will deliver another 50-yard performance and he’ll find the end zone.
Read More: NFL Power Rankings after Wild Card Weekend, Ranking the Playoff Teams
Kenneth Walker, Zach Charbonnet Combine for 140+ Yards
Just two weeks ago, Seattle’s offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, put the game in the hands of running backs Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III. The duo delivered, putting up 230 scrimmage yards combined while each averaged 4.4 yards per carry or higher and recorded at least 70 rushing yards. There is no reason to expect a change in approach from the Seahawks. Including the Wild Card Round, San Francisco’s defense has allowed 1,373 rushing yards over the last 11 games—an average of 124.8 per contest—and the highest rushing success rate in the NFL over that span. Only now, the 49ers are even thinner at linebacker. This is not the game to let Sam Darnold prove himself on the big stage; Seattle needs to win with its ground game.
Seattle Seahawks Snuff Out 49ers’ Offense and Season
Considering that the 49ers will have All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams back on the field for this matchup, we are not anticipating that the offense will be as poor as it was in Week 18, when it managed only 173 total yards and three points on eight drives. With that said, the loss of George Kittle and the season-long struggles San Francisco has had running the football effectively against good defenses do not bode well for the team. Seattle should be able to generate at least one takeaway, and it is far better suited offensively to take advantage of the injury-decimated 49ers’ defense. The Divisional Round is where the injuries finally catch up to San Francisco, with the Seahawks advancing to host the NFC Championship Game.
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