Yeah, so our Seattle Seahawks dropped a rough one to the Denver Broncos, 17-14, last Sunday. And get this: our rivals down south, the San Francisco 49ers, are actually *grateful* for it. Seriously, they’re thanking Denver for beating us. The 49ers are clearly feeling pretty good about how things are shaping up, with their coach Kyle Shanahan being called “the football version of Leonardo Da Vinci” by some, and they’re not shy about rubbing it in that our loss helped them somehow.
McCaffrey’s Fresh Legs? Uh Oh.
Part of that San Francisco swagger comes from how they are managing Christian McCaffrey this season. The word is he is working less on the field, which has him feeling a bit complicated about it, but still totally team-focused. “I want to win whatever it takes to win games,” McCaffrey said, adding that he loves how his team has “a bunch of selfish, unselfish guys.” He knows everyone wants the ball, but “not at the expense of the team.” His job is not to count touches, “but to make them count.” And get this, Shanahan’s reason for pulling back on McCaffrey’s workload? It’s not about extending his career, nope. It’s about “reinvigorating his rushing attack.” That means a fresher, more explosive McCaffrey is coming, and that’s not good news for our defense, or any defense in the league, when they roll into T-Mobile Park.
More Weapons, More Problems for the Emerald City
The 49ers are not just banking on a re-energized McCaffrey. They are looking at other weapons too. Mike Evans, for example, is apparently playing wide receiver like a rebounder in basketball, using his crazy 6-foot-5 frame and nearly 7-foot wingspan to “box out defensive backs” in the air. Their quarterback’s rule when targeting him is simple: “Even when he’s not open, he’s open.” Evans said it’s “feel, and it’s years of repetition” that helps him know where defenders are without seeing them. His old coach, Terry Petteway, knew how to light a fire under him, too: just tell him he couldn’t do something, and Evans would “go and tear the guy’s head off.” That kind of competitiveness is still there. Plus, Christian Kirk is getting “closer to making a difference” for their “injury-riddled” squad, saying he believes he has “a lot of really good football left” and is just working to get his body feeling great. And remember that game last Sunday against Denver? Well, the 49ers are calling rookie Halton’s “Seahawks-wrecking performance” in that game their “best game by a defens.” Talk about twisting the knife!
So, while we’re still shaking off that loss to the Broncos, the 49ers are out here feeling themselves, building momentum, and thanking our opponents for our struggles. It’s a stark reminder of what we’re up against in our conference. It means our Hawks need to bring that fire and focus every single week, ready to challenge these guys head-on when the schedule demands it. We will be watching, waiting for our shot at redemption.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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