Week 14: Five 49ers to watch versus the Seahawks The NFC West matchup first aired on NBC Sports Bay Area.
This three-game window appeared to be the 49ers’ pivotal stretch of the schedule when the NFL schedule was released in May.
The 49ers accomplished what seemed to be the hardest part, which was defeating Seattle and Philadelphia on the road.
Week 14 at Levi’s Stadium will see the 49ers return home to take on the Seahawks following their thrilling 42-19 victory over the Eagles.
“We have to make sure we’re dialed and focused,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said. “Philly is done and over with. We’re not talking about Philly from here on out. And we’re onto Seattle.”
If the 49ers win on Sunday and either Green Bay or Minnesota loses, they will have secured a postseason berth.
But qualifying for the postseason is not the only goal. The 49ers are in the thick of the competition for home-field advantage on the NFC side of the bracket, and a win would go a long way toward winning the NFC West for the second straight season.
When the 49ers play the Seahawks, keep an eye on these five players:
5, K. Jake Moody
Robbie Gould’s tenure with the 49ers came to an end when kicker Jake Moody was selected with the 99th overall pick.
After six seasons with the 49ers, Gould was a dependable player, but the team was eager to let him go. The team would be using a cheaper, younger kicker with a stronger leg.
The 49ers were never persuaded to change their mind. Furthermore, it was obvious that Gould was unlikely to come back in any case.
That’s official now.
Gould, 41, who remained unsigned well into the regular season, announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday.
When Moody missed his first NFL opportunity in Week 6 against Cleveland, it was a topic of much discussion. In the final seconds of the game, he missed his second field goal of the contest from 41 yards out, which kept the 49ers from defeating the Browns.
Overall, Moody’s first NFL season has been excellent. On field goal attempts, he is 17 of 20, including two of his three from behind 50 yards. Additionally, he has 43 of 43 extra points.
The 49ers anticipate a closer game than their most recent 31-13 triumph against Seattle. Would a kick be the end of it?
4, WR Brandon Aiyuk
There is currently another one going on, in addition to the ones discussed earlier in the season regarding NFL record-tying touchdown streaks by Christian McCaffrey, the running back.
Brandon Aiyuk, a wide receiver, is riding a career-long four-game streak of touchdown receptions. On Sunday, he will have the longest streak of any 49ers wide receiver since Hall of Famer Terrell Owens in 2001 if he can enter the end zone on a pass play.
Aiyuk is having a fantastic season, but on a team with McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle, his ability to create plays still seems to go unnoticed.
Aiyuk needs just 73 receiving yards to surpass the 1,000-yard threshold in back-to-back seasons with five games remaining. Since Anquan Boldin in 2013 and 2014, the 49ers have not had a player record 1,000 yards receiving in two straight seasons.
3. LB Dre Greenlaw
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw’s fervor, vigor, and aggression are highly valued by the 49ers.
The 49ers are not in favor of him altering his approach. However, his actions during the team’s Week 13 game hurt the team.
He was given a 15-yard penalty for needless roughness. After taking a swat at a Philadelphia Eagles staff member who put his hands on Greenlaw during a sideline altercation, he was later ejected from the game.
“He’s a tone-setter out there, delivering those hits and flying to the football every single play,” Warner described Greenlaw as.” You must have that.”
Naturally, Greenlaw’s most memorable play comes to mind whenever he plays the Seahawks. To win the NFC West and guarantee home-field advantage in the playoffs, Greenlaw stopped Seattle tight end Jacob Hollister on a fourth down at the goal line in the final seconds of the 2019 season.
2, QB Brock Purdy
In his one full season as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, Brock Purdy has played more games against the Seahawks than any other team.
Pete Carroll, the head coach of the Seahawks, ascended through the coaching ranks by working as a defensive coordinator and with defensive backs. However, he hasn’t yet been able to provide Purdy with any answers.
Though Purdy’s numbers against Seattle are marginally lower than his accomplishments against the rest of the NFL, it should be noted.
Purdy has been 56 of 86 (65%) for 758 yards with six touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 111.5 in his three starts against Seattle. In those three games, the Seahawks sacked him three times for a total of minus-15 yards.
Purdy is regarded as one of the top candidates for NFL Most Valuable Player as the 49ers head into Week 14.
Purdy is undoubtedly one of the major narratives of the NFL season. He leads the NFL in completion percentage (70.2) after 12 games. In addition, he leads the league in QBR (75.6), passer rating (116.1), and yards per pass attempt (9.6).
1, CB Charvarius Ward
When cornerback Charvarius Ward’s main responsibility two weeks ago was to shadow Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf, the 49ers showed a newfound level of faith in him.
Ward used to play on the left side. Ward covered the receiver who was positioned on that side.
It appears that Ward will likely start copying the top receiver on the other team.
“I think his level of confidence is there.” Steve Wilks, the defensive coordinator for the 49ers, stated, “He seems to be playing with excellent technique and the right place for his eyes. I believe he’s simply very concentrated and locked in.”
Metcalf was matched in man coverage against Ward during the teams’ Thanksgiving meeting, and he managed just one reception on six targets for 14 yards. Metcalf mishandled one pass, and Ward intercepted two attempts from Geno Smith.
The Seahawks’ most potent offensive weapon is Metcalf. In 11 games, he has racked up 49 receptions for 812 yards and six touchdowns.
Metcalf is obviously focused on giving his team the best chance of winning on Sunday by taking the lead this time around, especially after Ward held him down two weeks ago.