NFL · 1 year ago

5 Things We Learned from 49ers vs. Seahawks on Thursday Night

David Connelly

Host · Writer

Seattle Has Ground Game Issues
Despite head coach Mike Macdonald stating over the past few weeks that he has been hoping to get the ball to Kenneth Walker more often, the Seahawks have mightily struggled to effectively get the ground game going. They rank 27th in the league in rushing yards per game and have been forced to rely on getting yards through the air for the majority of the season, leading the NFL in pass play percentage at nearly 70 percent. If they want to find more offensive success, they will need to strike a closer balance.
Shanahan Struggles Again in the 2nd Half
We can't quite put our finger on it, but San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has really found a way to make a mess of halftime leads this season. Entering last night, the 49ers were outscoring opponents 80-40 in the first half, the third-best margin in the NFL. In second halves, San Francisco was being beaten 66-46 across the season, the fourth-worst margin in the league. The trend continued on Thursday night, outscoring Seattle 16-3 in the first half before letting them back in the game with a 21-20 defeat in the second half. They were able to get a crucial divisional road victory, but it's a troubling trend to monitor.
The Seahawks Have a Helpless Defense
Seattle's defense has shown time and time again that they simply possess zero backbone. They are bottom ten in the NFL in points per game allowed and just weren't able to string together enough stops to get fully back into the game. Jared Goff, Daniel Jones, and now Brock Purdy have carved them up in the previous three weeks. They'll need to step up if this team wants any chance of reaching the postseason.
Call Him What You Want... But You Better Call Him Elite
Brock Purdy has been named all sorts of adjectives since he was named the starting quarterback of the 49ers. You can call him a system quarterback, you can call him a game manager, you can call him whatever you want. But make sure you call him elite. He is currently in the top ten in virtually every important quarterback statistic, including QBR and passer rating, and rarely makes mistakes that cost his team. There are few better that are under center in the NFL, and all he continues to do is silence the doubters.
Don't Rush Back, CMC
When it was announced just minutes before their opening game of the season that Christian McCaffrey would be out for an extended period of time, there was plenty of validated concern about how effective the team's run game would be with the remaining pieces in the backfield. Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo continued to ensure San Fran fans that they were in good hands until CMC's return with 172 rushing yards on just 19 carries between the two of them.
Seattle Has Ground Game Issues
Despite head coach Mike Macdonald stating over the past few weeks that he has been hoping to get the ball to Kenneth Walker more often, the Seahawks have mightily struggled to effectively get the ground game going. They rank 27th in the league in rushing yards per game and have been forced to rely on getting yards through the air for the majority of the season, leading the NFL in pass play percentage at nearly 70 percent. If they want to find more offensive success, they will need to strike a closer balance.
Shanahan Struggles Again in the 2nd Half
We can't quite put our finger on it, but San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has really found a way to make a mess of halftime leads this season. Entering last night, the 49ers were outscoring opponents 80-40 in the first half, the third-best margin in the NFL. In second halves, San Francisco was being beaten 66-46 across the season, the fourth-worst margin in the league. The trend continued on Thursday night, outscoring Seattle 16-3 in the first half before letting them back in the game with a 21-20 defeat in the second half. They were able to get a crucial divisional road victory, but it's a troubling trend to monitor.

5 Things We Learned from 49ers vs. Seahawks on Thursday Night

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