In a game that could be very lopsided, the San Francisco 49ers will host the Seattle Seahawks in an NFC West matchup on Sunday.
The San Francisco 49ers could be in for a long day on Sunday, as they welcome the Seattle Seahawks to town in an NFC West matchup. The Seahawks have plenty to play for in Week 17, as they are still in the running for a first round bye in the NFC Playoffs. Seattle has been one of the best teams in the league all season long, and a win on Sunday would go a long way in them possibly hosting a playoff game in January.
Seattle has won six straight games against the San Francisco 49ers, as this rivalry has become really one-sided in recent years. The Seahawks are only three years away from winning the Super Bowl, and have the talent on both sides of the ball to possibly make a run at their third appearance in four years. Safety Earl Thomas is out for the season, but the Seahawks have plenty of depth on their defense to make up for the loss.
For San Francisco, head coach Chip Kelly continues to fail as the man in charge in the Bay Area, and his tenure with the team has to be on shaky ground. Kelly was once thought of as one of the best head coach prospects in the college ranks, but he has yet to show that he can win at the next level. It does not help that his team is awful in nearly every respect, including quarterback, where they have gotten nothing from Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert this season.
To make matters worse, the 49ers will be without the services of Carlos Hyde on Sunday. Hyde is really the only weapon they have on the offensive side of the ball, and playing against a stout Seahawks defense, San Francisco is going to struggle to put up points. This one could get out of hand early, and is the Atlanta Falcons lose or tie, the Seahawks will slide into the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoffs.
Highlights
Highlights will be posted throughout the game.
Three Stars Prediction
1. Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson is playing some great football as of late and looks to be ready for the playoffs. He is the ultimate competitor, and with a possible No. 2 seed on the line, he is definitely going to bring his “A” game. He is going to throw for at least three touchdowns in this one, though he may have an early exit if they get up by a big margin in the third quarter.
2. Doug Baldwin
Expect to see a lot of Wilson-to-Baldwin on Sunday, as the Seahawks look to put the 49ers away early. Baldwin has become one of the best wide receivers in the NFC, and there is really no-one on this San Francisco defense that can cover him. He is going to get his yards on Sunday, and the real question will be how many times he finds the end zone.
3. Seattle’s Defense
This could be one of the easiest games of the season for Seattle, who will not have to go up against the only real weapon on the San Francisco offense. The team recently locked up Michael Bennett to a nice three-year deal, and cornerback Richard Sherman is playing some of the best football he has played in a while. Seattle is going to be all over the 49ers, and they absolutely could pitch a shutout in this one.
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Odds
Despite the fact they will be playing on the road, the Seattle Seahawks are a huge favorite on Sunday. The Seahawks will be giving the 49ers 9.5 points, though they could win this game by at least 14. The over/under is set at 43, and judging by the talent on both sides of the ball, most of those points will come from the Seahawks.
Next Week
It will be another year without postseason play for the 49ers, who are really lost as a franchise. The Seattle Seahawks will have to see where they seed, but after locking up the NFC West, they are at least guaranteed a home game in the wildcard round.