To open their 2017 home stretch, the Seattle Seahawks, who posted a 7-1 record at home in 2016, will host divisional opponent San Francisco for what could be another enticing battle between two clubs with rich history. Both teams fell in their Week 1 matchups, but only one will come out of Sunday’s game even at .500. The Seahawks dropped their opening game in Green Bay, 17-9, while the 49ers fell to Carolina, 23-3.
The 49ers enter this season with a new look across their roster and front office. Former NFL safety and FOX Sports broadcaster John Lynch started a new venture and took over for Trent Baalke as general manager of the team last offseason.
“He’s awesome and there’s no question that he’ll do a fantastic job,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said of Lynch. “Whatever John wanted to do he would do well just because of his makeup and his competitiveness and his intellect and all that.”
Shortly after, Lynch hired former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as head coach, replacing Chip Kelly. The 49ers soon began to clear their roster and start fresh, utilizing the draft and adding veteran players at certain spots across the board.
Although the Seahawks are heavily favored to win Sunday’s matchup, a win isn’t guaranteed. Here are three matchups that could make a difference this weekend:
1. Seahawks Offensive Line vs 49ers Defensive Line
For the second game in a row, the Seahawks offensive line faces a good test against an opposing defensive line unit.
In Week 1, the Packers line, led by Mike Daniels, caused a bit of havoc in the trenches and sacked Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson three times while also recording seven hits. On one drive in the third quarter, Wilson was sacked twice in three plays, with the second being a fumble recovery for Daniels. The Packers scored a rushing touchdown on the very next play.
Offensive line and assistant head coach Tom Cable felt the unit got better as the game wore on but was ultimately disappointed with the overall performance against Green Bay.
“Not good enough, too inconsistent and not good enough,” Cable said. “At the end of the day, we have to play better in a couple of situations particularly.”
Cable believes he’ll likely go with the same starting unit of Rees Odhiambo, Luke Joeckel, Justin Britt, Mark Glowinski and Germain Ifedi against the 49ers. The Seahawks allowed just two sacks in the two games combined against the 49ers last season.
In terms of pure talent, San Francisco’s defensive line definitely adds more of a challenge than Green Bay’s. With Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and 2017 No. 2 overall pick Solomon Thomas, the 49ers have a really young, athletic and tall core of linemen. Armstead and Buckner are each listed at 6’7” and Thomas is currently at 6’3”.
“They’re as big and tall as they can get,” Carroll said of the three. “Armstead and those guys are enormous guys and they’re young guys just coming along and they’re going to be big factors. They look like they’re going to be really good.”
While the 49ers have some of the best defensive linemen talent in the league, that doesn’t automatically equal success against the Seahawks. In Week 1 against the Panthers, the 49ers couldn’t bring Cam Newton down to the ground and only hit him twice. Part of that is because of Newton’s big frame that is quite unusual for quarterbacks, but at the same time, Carolina’s offensive line managed to hold up fine and gave him time to make plays. If the Seahawks can do the same, Wilson should have success against the 49ers’ defense, too.
2. Brian Hoyer vs CenturyLink Field
Brian Hoyer has seen a lot in his nine seasons as an NFL quarterback. On Sunday, however, he will be seeing CenturyLink Field for the first time.
Amazingly, Hoyer, who has played for New England, Arizona, Cleveland, Chicago and now San Francisco, has not only never visited Seattle as an opposing quarterback, he's never played the Seahawks period. The Week 2 matchup will be his first against the franchise.
Opposing quarterbacks have been known to have difficulty at the line in CenturyLink Field because of the impact the crowd has when trying to communicate calls, checks and audibles at the line of scrimmage. Recently, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell had a comprehensive look at how much teams actually enjoy home-field advantage and the Seahawks (clearly) were one of the main teams featured in the piece.
"I just expect what everybody says here who's played there," Hoyer told reporters this week. "It's loud. Obviously, it's what it's known for. The bigger task is their defense. Obviously, the crowd has a lot to do with it, but when you just line up and look at their defense and their scheme, it's a tough thing to go against.”
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner said earlier this week he believes Shanahan and the 49ers will look to make things simple for Hoyer in what will be a hostile setting.
“I think they are going to try and get the ball out of his hands pretty fast,” Wagner said. “They are going to do a lot of intermediate shots. They are going to have some shots down the field, but I think it is just going to test us being able to recognize the routes and rallying to everything that is in front of us and try to minimize all the yards after catches and things of that nature. We just got to be real disciplined this game.”
The home crowd is a factor for practically every Seahawks home game, and it certainly will be something to watch in a game with the magnitude of an opener.
3. Kyle Shanahan vs The Seahawks Defense
Personally, this will be my favorite matchup to watch on Sunday.
Kyle Shanahan is one of the most creative and established offensive guru’s in the NFL, and the opportunity he was given to be a head coach last offseason was overdue.
Last season in Atlanta, Shanahan operated one of the most explosive offenses in the league under head coach Dan Quinn. Shanahan’s influence on Atlanta’s offense through play designs and utilizing personnel helped pushed the Falcons to the Super Bowl and also contributed to helping quarterback Matt Ryan win league MVP.
Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard was asked what play elements make Shanahan’s style of offense so unique.
“Stretch outside zone,” Richard explained. “Outside, zone, trying to attack the C-gaps, trying to expose the C-gaps in some way shape or form, whether it’s going to be punch-side or getting the halfback cutting back and trying to attack it that side.”
Wagner said Shanahan likes to “flood the zone a lot,” which he described as a situation where there are a number of zone defenders in one area and teams try to outnumber them.
“It makes you challenge your discipline … you have to bring an extra zone defender to know where you’re lacking,” Wagner described.
Last season, the Falcons ranked first in points during the regular season, second in yards, third in passing yards and fifth in rushing yards. Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric, which measures efficiency on a snap-by-snap basis, ranked the Falcons offense as the best in the league by a comfortable margin.
Shanahan faced the Seahawks twice last season (once in the regular season and once in the postseason) and the Falcons had success offensively each time. The 49ers don’t have the same talent and personnel as the Falcons, but great coaches and offensive minds know how to scheme players open and get the most out of their players.
“Just preparing for them is pretty close to the same,” Shanahan said when asked about the similarities of preparing for the Seahawks now compared to when he was in Atlanta. “There’s only so many things you can do versus that defense, they don’t give a ton of looks, you know the fronts, you know the coverages, so there’s only so many ways you can attack them. In Atlanta, we had some players to where if you got down in stuff, we had guys who could make some plays to get back and I still believe we have that here. We just have to go get it done, and there’s not much of a difference from a preparation standpoint. I still attack it the same way and still try to put in the same stuff and I just hope that the more we do it, the better we get.”
Photos of the Seahawks playing the 49ers throughout the years leading up to their Week 2 game at CenturyLink Field.
Seattle Seahawks fullback Dan Doornink (33) runs upfield during an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, Oct. 7, 1979. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 35-24. (AP Photo/Al Messerschmidt)
San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana (16) passes during an NFL football game against Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Nov. 25, 1985, in San Francisco. The 49ers won the game, 19-6. (AP Photo/Greg Trott)
San Francisco 49ers' Terrell Owens catches the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Jeff Garcia while Seattle Seahawks' Shawn Springs defends during the fourth quarter in Seattle, Monday, Oct. 14. 29, 2002. The 49ers won, 28-21. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
San Francisco 49ers running back Garrison Hearst (20) runs for good yardage in front of Seattle Seahawks free safety Marcus Robertson (31), and defensive end Anton Palepoi (91) in the third quarter, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2002, in San Francisco. Hearst scored three times during the 49ers 31-24 win over the Seahawks. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Seattle Seahawks' Antonio Cochran (78) celebrates a fumble recovery by teammate safety Ken Hamlin on the first play after the 2-minute warning in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2003, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 20-19. At left is 49ers' Ron Stone. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
San Francisco 49ers defensive end John Engelberger (95) rushes Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) on Saturday, December 27, 2003, in San Francisco, California. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 24-17. (AP Photo/Al Golub)
Seattle Seahawks' Ken Lucas (21) grabs San Francisco 49ers Jamal Robertson on a run in the fourth quarter Sunday, Sept. 26, 2004, in Seattle. Robertson was held to no gain on the play, and the Seahawks won, 34-0. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck throws the ball away as he is hit by San Francisco 49ers' John Engelberger in the first half Sunday, Nov. 7, 2004, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)
Seattle Seahawks' Rocky Bernard, top, sacks San Francisco 49ers quarterback Ken Dorsey in the fourth quarter in San Francisco on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005. The Seahawks won 27-25. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
San Francisco 49ers' Shawntae Spencer, left, pushes Seattle Seahawks' Joe Jurevicius out of bounds on a first quarter pass reception, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, front left, is brought down by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Manny Lawson, back, and linebacker Brandon Moore, right, in the second half of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006. San Francisco won 20-14. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander (37) sits on the ground after fumbling against the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter Thursday, Dec. 14, 2006, at Qwest Field in Seattle. The Seahawks recoverd the ball. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Deion Branch (83) breaks away from San Francisco 49ers cornerback Nate Clements (22) in the second quarter of their NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
SEATTLE - NOVEMBER 12: Guard Chris Gray #62 of the Seattle Seahawks against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, November 12, 2007 in Seattle, Washington. Seattle won the game 24-0. (AP Photo/Thomas E. Witte) Chris Gray
Seattle Seahawks running back Justin Forsett (30) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers running back Michael Robinson (24) during an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Josh Wilson (26) runs against the San Francisco 49ers during an NFL football game in San Francisco, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
San Francisco 49ers' Ahmad Brooks and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in action during an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Marcus Trufant tackles San Francisco 49ers' Josh Morgan, knocking him out of bounds and keeping him from scoring a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Seattle Seahawks running back Michael Robinson #26 during an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers December 12, 2010 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco Ca. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 40 - 21 in regular season week fourteen action. (Ap Photo/ Bill Nichols)
Seattle Seahawks running back Justin Forsett (20) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner (31) in the third quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith (94) bull rushes the quarterback during an NFL game against Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Robert Gallery (72) on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Seattle. The 49ers won the game, 19-17. (AP Photo/Greg Trott)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (89) catches a pass in front of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver (29) during the second quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Seattle Seahawks running back Robert Turbin (22) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker Patrick Willis (52) during the NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, December 23, 2012 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo Credit: AP Photo/Jon Ferrey)
Seattle Seahawks Russell Wilson, right, looks to pass as he is pursued by San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (55) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (21) gets tackled by Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Tony McDaniel (99) who goes upside down on the play during the NFL week 14 football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013 in San Francisco. The 49ers won the game 19-17. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
Seattle Seahawks' Zach Miller (86) is tripped up by San Francisco 49ers' Tramaine Brock after a catch during the first half of the NFL football NFC Championship game Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman tips a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers' Michael Crabtree (15) in the final seconds of the second half of the NFL football NFC Championship game Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014, in Seattle. Malcolm Smith intercepted the tipped pass. The Seahawks won 23-17 to advance to Super Bowl XLVIII. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
As the crowd erupts, linebacker Malcolm Smith cradles the pass tipped by teammate Richard Sherman in front of Michael Crabtree sealing the victory, the NFC Championship and a trip to the Super Bowl.
Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman, right, closes in on San Francisco 49ers' Brandon Lloyd in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 17-7. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) is sacked during an NFL game by Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett (72) on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015, in Santa Clara, CA. The Seahawks won the game, 20-3. (Greg Trott via AP)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) runs against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock (26) during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Jimmy Graham (88), tight end de los Seahawks de Seattle, anota un touchdown frente a NaVorro Bowman, de los 49ers de San Francisco, en la primera mitad del juego del domingo 25 de septiembre de 2016, en Seattle. (AP Foto/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls (34) scores a touchdown between San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Gerald Hodges (51), strong safety Jaquiski Tartt (29) and linebacker Michael Wilhoite (57) during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
