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The Seahawks bandwagon just keeps on
rolling & this week’s destination is San Francisco. With a 4-0 record
against divisional opponents you can probably expect that record to go to
5-0 come Monday Morning. Here’s how either team could win it.
San Francisco Keys to the Game
As you would expect from a Mike Nolan coached team defense is their
strength. To stand a chance of winning their defense has to perform at the
same level of recent games. 5 sacks, 1 interception & 2 Forced Fumbles
against Tampa Bay provided a platform for a 15-10 victory in week 8. A rare
100 plus yard performance from Kevan Barlow also proved key in that game.
Had they not been on the receiving end of an NFL record 108 yard return of a
missed field goal they could have beaten the Bears in Chicago last week.
Their other victory also came at Monster Park over the Rams on opening day.
Both of the Seahawks losses have been on the road & the Jaguars showed that
plenty of turnovers can provide your offense with opportunities to seal
victory.
Despite good defensive displays they have been let down by poor offensive
performances. With four different starting QBs so far in 2005 they badly
need a good performance from Ken Dorsey this weekend. Dorsey was the starter
in the win over Tampa Bay.
Seattle keys to the game
Shaun Alexander enjoyed his trip to San Francisco last year, 160 yards & 2
Touchdowns helped the team to a 42-27 victory & similar numbers are expected
this weekend. Number 37 has already beaten his rushing Touchdowns for last
year & could own two league records before the end of the regular season.
Priest Holmes scored 30 Touchdowns in 2003 & the Legendary Paul Hornung
racked up 176 points in 1960. Alexander is currently on course to own both &
may even come close to Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record of
2,105 yards set in 1984. (Horung set his mark in a 12 game season but 56 of
the points were kicking)
His achievements so far are even more remarkable considering the absence of
both Bobby Engram & Darrell Jackson for part of this season. Jurevicius,
Urban & Hackett have all subbed without missing a beat.
Unsurprisingly, the offense ranks in the top 3 for efficiency inside
opponents 20 yard line or ‘Red Zone’ as it is more commonly known. What
might not be common knowledge is the Seahawks defensive prowess in the same
area. They also rank among the top 3 in the NFL. This takes a lot of
pressure off the offense to win games single-handedly. The unit has suffered
injuries again this year but the back ups & practice squad players have
filled in admirably. The latest example is DT Rodney Bailey who was promoted
to the active roster last week & forced a crucial fumble late in the game to
help defeat the Rams.
Without off field distractions the team has been able to focus far better on
the task at hand.
Summary
The 49ers are still building a team & have shown some flashes of promise but
still have a lot of work to do. The Seahawks have made the leap from being a
competitive team to currently being ranked number one in the NFC. Such
things don’t happen by accident.
With Seattle superior to their opponents in so many departments it is
difficult to make a case for their hosts. Turning over the ball often &
early would give San Francisco a real chance of an upset but if Hasselbeck &
Co can continue normal service expect a fairly comfortable away win.
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Matt Cheesman (KingdomeUK)
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