The Seattle Seahawks (3-8) head into Week 13 to face the San Francisco 49ers. As it stands, the Seahawks are six games back in the NFC West. Unfortunately, their playoff hopes were likely shattered last week on Monday Night Football.
Current NFL odds place the Seahawks (+3.5) as a slight underdog at home this week against the 49ers. Can they at least cover the spread?
The Seattle Seahawks Flounder
The Seattle Seahawks are in bad shape. After an injury on his throwing hand, Russell Wilson returned to the team’s lineup. Unfortunately, he’s lost three straight since he’s been back.
He was mostly ineffective last week, throwing for 247 yards and two touchdowns. And their rushing game was abysmal. Seattle totaled 34 yards on the ground against the Washington Football Team.
The Seahawks were known for being tough to beat at home. This year, however, their home record is 1-4.
Against the spread, they are 5-6 overall with a 2-3 record at Lumen Field.
Do the Seahawks Have Any Strengths?
To me, the Seahawks look like a rudderless team that doesn’t stand out at any facet of the game. Seattle ranks 25th this season for points scored per game (19). Their rushing offense ranks 25th for yards per game, while their passing offense is 26th.
On defense, they are last in the NFL at yards allowed per game. (Their rushing defense ranks 23rd, while their passing defense ranks 31st.)
It’s certainly a low point for the franchise.
The only bright spot is the Seahawks’ ability to keep their opponents from scoring, as they are sixth in the league in that defensive category.
Can the Seahawks Stop the 49ers?
The 49ers are a football team that seems to be going in the opposite direction as their divisional counterpart. They’ve won three straight games, including last week with a 34-26 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 230 yards in that game with one touchdown and an interception. The 49ers dominated on the ground, amassing a total of 208 yards.
Eli Mitchell carried the ball 27 times for 133 yards and a touchdown. Deebo Samuel had 66 yards on six carries and two scores.
That is going to be a lot to handle for the Seahawks. Can they do it?
I’m not so sure. The 49ers averaged nearly 32 points per contest in their current three-game winning streak. Seattle has allowed 19 points per game in their previous three matchups, losing by an average of almost 10.
The 49ers have won their last three games by an average of more than 16 points. So, the Seahawks must play their best football of the season to beat San Francisco.
The Seattle Seahawks Need to Dig Deep
Seattle must dig deep in Week 13. Wilson is a competitor, and the Seahawks have got to get the ball to DK Metcalf.
Metcalf caught only one pass last week for 13 yards. On the other hand, Tyler Lockett caught three balls for 96 yards, and Freddie Swain had a 32-yard touchdown.
Running back Alex Collins is a big problem as well. He ran the ball seven times for only 14 yards against the WFT. In his previous two games, he averaged less than four yards-per-carry on 20 attempts.
San Francisco has the league’s sixth-best passing defense. So, this game may get ugly if the Seahawks can’t run the ball against the 49ers. But I don’t think he will, and I think San Francisco dominates on the road this week.
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